Sister Who Lived:Chamber of Secrets
by sweethearts together
Summary: In Harry's second year of Hogwarts, his older sister Grace is struggling to save him from whatever has been attacking students lately. In the midst of her own teenage dramas, will Grace be able to save her brother or will she be the one getting hurt?
1. Sneaking for a Present

**Hi everyone and welcome to the sequel of The Sister Who Lived. To those who haven't read the first story please do. It's not necessarily essential but it would make a whole lot more sense if you did. Sorry if this chapter is short and doesn't include much. It's just a leading up chapter. **

**Also I wrote a one-shot about Draco Malfoy set in the Deathly Hallows called Some Nights. **

**I don't own Harry Potter. All rights go to Joanne Rowling. **

Chapter One- Sneaking for a Present

The leather handbag slung over Grace's shoulder jangled with coins as she shimmied her way down the ivy plants right outside her window. Right when the strong vines veered off to the side, she stepped lightly onto the shade of a window and leapt to the ground.

It was five' o'clock in the morning at Privet Drive. Today was Harry's birthday and Grace was sneaking out of the house to buy his present. She had gathered up all the notes and change that was left in the laundry for two weeks saving up.

Normally Grace would be able to walk down to the shops during the day since the Dursleys didn't care where she was but Uncle Vernon had grounded her. Something about punching a couple of Dudley's friends. Now was the only time she would get to buy Harry's present. All she had to do was go to the shops and back by the time the Dursleys woke up at six.

The summer holidays had been torture for Grace. As soon as she and Harry arrived back at Privet Drive their belongings had been taken away and locked in the cupboard under the stairs. Within a week Grace was grounded for protecting Harry against Dudley and was locked inside her room.

Grace set off at a brisk pace down the streets of Little Whinging. Crickets chirped in the still morning air. The sky was a purpling orange. Grace's mouth stretched wide in a huge yawn.

The occupants of Little Whinging were all still in bed when Grace walked past. Not a soul could be seen in the park. Ignoring the chills running down her spine, Grace kept hurrying on for another twenty minutes until she reached the shops.

Just like the rest of Little Whinging the shops were pristinely clean. Early morning joggers stopped to stretch on benches and corporate workers in crisp suits purchased their morning coffee.

Not even thinking of any of the other expensive stores Grace went straight to her favourite was the hidden-away second-hand store. It was a sunny place with a cheerful owner and shelves of forgotten treasures. There were figurines, jewellery, old movies, records, books, vintage magazines and anything else that was handed in for money. Immediately a glint of gold caught Grace's eye in the box of watches. She remembered how much Harry wanted a new watch. His current one was a hand-me-down of Dudley's that constantly fell off his wrist from stretched straps.

"Need any help, there?"

Grace jumped as she realized the store owner had moved to stand beside her. The name on his blue mechanic's shirt read Seely.

"No, thank you, Seely," Grace smiled. "I'm just buying my brother's birthday present."

"At this hour?" he said, shaking his head. "Blimey, he must be one special brother."

"Yeah, he is," Grace murmured. "I'll take this one."

The watch Grace had chosen was silver with chain links. Carved into the face of the watch was a beautiful owl. It was perfect.

"Nice one, that is," Seely remarked. "It was handed in 'bout eleven years ago by a strange fella in a cloak. That'll be twenty dollars."

Grace had a slight suspicion that the fella was a wizard.

"And just something extra for your dear brother," he added with a wink as he handed over a small brown paper bag. Upon peeking in the bag Grace saw a packet of Starbursts.

"Thanks, Seely," she called over her shoulder and left the shop with a grin on her face.

The grin soon faded from her Grace's face at the sight of the sunny sky. At least an hour had passed since she left Privet Drive.

It took Grace half the time it had taken her to walk there to get home in her slightly panicky state. She still wasn't quick enough. Curtains were wide open in the Dursley's windows and talking could be heard from the kitchen. From what she could hear from outside it sounded like Uncle Vernon was giving them a speech on how to behave when his dinner guests were here.

Grace made her way around the side of the house, ducked from sight under the living room and stopped dead.

Someone had cut off the ivy vines that had trailed up to her window since she had climbed down it.

To make sure Uncle Vernon didn't take away Harry's present she stuffed it in her bag. Grace walked through the front door into the main hallway with only a tiny bit of trepidation to find Uncle Vernon waiting for her.

"Hi Uncle Vernon," Grace greeted in an overly cheerful voice. "Lovely day, don't you think? I'm just going to go have my breakfast then."

Grace attempted to make her way to the kitchen but was blocked by her uncle's large body.

"No you don't girl," he growled. "Where have you been?"

All she had to do now was think of a lie that didn't include stealing their money or making Harry's birthday worse than it already was.

"I went for a walk."

"Just decided to go for a walk then?" His moustache was starting to quiver. That was always a bad sign. "Thought you'd forget the fact that we had grounded you? Your aunt and I have placed a roof over your head, provided you with food and clothing but you still think that you can ignore the rules of this house!"

His face became steadily redder and his voice louder with every word.

"So I'm just supposed to stand by while Dudley and his friends are bullying my younger brother?" Grace shouted back at him, beyond caring whether Harry heard or not. "I think you forget how much of a fat, arrogant jerk your son is."

"Don't you talk about your cousin like that," he yelled back. He took a deep breath and continued in a lower tone. "Today is very important for me. It could be the biggest deal of my career and I won't have you ruining it."

"Why don't you stop thinking about your bloody career and remember that it's your nephew's birthday today?"

Uncle Vernon stood, spluttering for a moment. She could almost see the clogs slowly clicking together in his brain. Finally something clicked and he grabbed her arm tightly.

"Right, in your room, now," he ordered. "This time you're staying there."

He dragged Grace up the stairs. She got one look at Harry sitting at the kitchen table before she was whisked away and shoved into her room.

**Thanks for reading! I hope you like. The next chapter won't be up for at least a week because I'm without internet but I'll get it up as soon as I'm back. **


	2. Escape at last

**A/N: Here is the next chapter for you! I'm sorry it took too long. Let's just say that JK Rowling's new book, The Casual Vacancy was a tiny bit addictive. Or maybe a lot. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Rights go to Joanne Rowling.**

Chapter Two: Escape at last

With a strangled sob, Grace fell against the back of her door and sunk heavily to the floor. It was Harry's day, his twelfth birthday, and now she had ruined it for him. Here she was, locked in her bedroom for trying to make his day special, while he slaved away for Aunt Petunia without any acknowledgement of his birthday.

Her snow white cat, Bellus strutted over to rub against her leg. It was Grace's turn to look after her for the summer, much to the displeasure of Aunt Petunia.

More than anything Grace wished, as she crawled her way over to her bed that they could have spent the summer at the Weasley's. Feelings of abandonment and loneliness flooded through Grace at the thought of her close friends. Not one of them had written to her over the summer. She had no way of writing to them herself, Hedwig was locked in her cage on Uncle Vernon's orders, but she desperately wanted to talk to any of her friends.

Right at the heart of her separation were her feelings for her boyfriend Nate after their argument on the Hogwarts Express. Trina had informed her, whispered covertly in Grace's ear; she had seen him storming away when she went to have a private talk with Oliver Wood. Part of Grace thought that that had been the end of their relationship, but somehow she knew it wasn't. To her it was over, she couldn't bring herself, no matter how hard she tried, to regain the feelings of like she once had.

"Why in the name of Merlin am I worrying about my idiot of a boyfriend on my brother's birthday?" Grace muttered to Bellus.

She reached under her pillow to grasp and pull out the three moving photos she had stuffed there. The first one was a copy of the photo from Harry's sorting ceremony; the same one she had framed for his Christmas present. The other two were of Grace and her friends. One with Ciara, Miranda, Trina, Hannah and Lara at a picnic and the other of her crammed between Fred and George, the smile wide on her face in both pictures. The happiness that radiated from each giggling face calmed Grace enough for her to regain the sleep from her early morning rise with Bellus curled into her side.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

Grace woke several hours later to the sound of the ringing doorbell and Harry walking along the upstairs corridor. She supposed nobody had remembered to bring dinner up for her. It wouldn't necessarily matter to Grace but she couldn't let her little baby cat starve.

Through the floor she could hear Dudley ask, "May I take your coats, Mr and Mrs Mason?"

His simpering voice made Grace want to be sick.

She resigned to reading an old Muggle book to pass the time. Ignoring Aunt Petunia's shrill cackle and the odd squeals from Harry's room she relaxed until a particularly strange noise came from across the hallway. It sounded like someone was crying, restlessly and relenting.

Grace put her book to the side and crossed the room in three strides. Gradually the crying died down to a couple of loud hiccups but Grace still stood, like a statue, at the door.

Only a minute later she heard a cry of "Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!", a couple of muffled bangs followed by a loud screech from Hedwig.

The more startling noises disappeared so Grace sank onto the end of her bed to listen. Talking could be heard through the walls, the words were indiscernible, Grace recognized Harry's voice but who the other speaker was she had no idea.

The conversation continued for a few moments, occasionally disturbed by thumps of something hard against wood. All of a sudden screams of pain echoed through the house.

Concern for the screamer swept through Grace, making her leap up and grab the doorknob before remembering it was locked. She pressed an ear against the door, just in time to hear Uncle Vernon's footsteps on the stairs.

"What-the-devil-are-you-doing?" came Uncle Vernon's voice. It sounded like he wanted to yell but didn't want the Masons to hear. "You've just ruined the punch line of my Japanese golfer joke... One more sound and you'll wish you'd never been born, boy!"

Next second his weighty feet stomped down the stairs. In lower, even harder to hear, tones, the conversation kept going. It ended shortly, however when Harry's bedroom door banged open and two different sets of footsteps ran down the stairs. None of this could be heard downstairs, where they were talking about American plumbers.

Grace listened to the joke about plumbers and didn't understand how someone could find it so funny. An ear-splitting crash of breaking china reverberated from the kitchen up to Grace's room. A shocked silence rang around. Grace didn't know what broke or what was happening but it sure as hell wasn't good. The Masons seemed to getting over the scare quickly enough from Uncle Vernon's suspiciously cheerful explanations of having an unbalanced nephew. It made Grace wonder what she was if Harry was 'unbalanced.'

As revenge Grace dearly held out for some other kind of misfortune to befall the Dursleys to ruin their night. Luck was upon her that night at the sound of an owls wings and an old lady's terrified scream.

Once the initial impact was over Uncle Vernon's laugh, as creepy as a serial killer's made its way up the stairs. Grace still smiled when she turned around and saw Bellus fast asleep on her pillow.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

The next morning Grace woke to find a plate of burnt toast and hot water sitting on top of the washing machine for her. Bellus was already chewing on a piece of toast. It took all her effort to get piece for herself. Her day brightened when, during her allocated visit to the bathroom, she ran into Harry.

"Happy birthday!" she exclaimed but soon enough the worry that had built up over her restless night spilled out in a ramble of words. "I got you a present, and it's really good, and I really want to give it to you and it's in my room but I was locked in and I didn't know what was happening last night and I was worried and also there were some _really _strange noises coming from your room, did you know?"

Harry stood by the sink, a toothbrush sticking out of his mouth with utter confusion on his face. She may have talked _a bit _fast.

"Yeah," Grace breathed. To distract herself she grabbed her own toothbrush

"A house-elf was in my room last night," he said once he had spat out his toothpaste. "And thanks for the present; I know it'll be great from you. If only you didn't have to get punished for it."

"A house-elf was in your room? How?" Grace asked with a mouth full of toothpaste. "And thanks, love."

"I don't know. He came to warn me not to go back to Hogwarts because terrible things were going to happen. He wouldn't tell me who or why . . . but when I didn't promise to stay away he smashed Aunt Petunia's pudding. The Ministry thought I was doing underage magic and sent me a warning."

At every new piece of information Grace's mouth and eyebrows dropped even lower giving her a frowning slack-jawed face. Fists thumped on the door.

"Out! Get out of the bathroom already!" Uncle Vernon yelled through the door.

Grace rolled her eyes at Harry, enveloped him in a hug and walked across the room.

"Oh and Grace?" Harry said. "Dobby was keeping our letters as well."

"Damn that elf."

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

Three days later, Grace had fallen into an uneasy sleep but at least she _was_ sleeping. The news that her letters had been stopped made her feel much better. Her friends _did_ care about her and they _did_ write. It was just a house-elf that was trying to look out for Harry's safety. When Grace said that aloud she sounded like a crazy person.

"Gracie! Gracie! Hey, George, reckon we should empty a bucket of water on her head?"

Grace jolted upright, banging her head on the shelf above her head. Standing in her doorway, with wicked grins on their faces and twisted paperclips in their hands were Fred and George Weasley.

"Oh damn I was really looking forward to seeing you soaking wet Gracie," George remarked.

"Not even going to happen in your dreams," Grace smirked. "What are you doing here?"

"Coming to rescue you of course!" Fred said.

"Grab your stuff, we'll get your trunk and meet you in Harry's room," George told her. Grace's first reaction was to snatch the photos from under her pillow, clearly revealing the photo of the twins. "Naw you sleep with us."

"Bugger off," Grace threw a pillow at George's rapidly moving head.

Grace quickly jumped out of bed to grab the few possessions in her room. There wasn't even that many clothes in here as all of her nice stuff were in her Hogwarts trunk. The only things she needed from here were Harry's present, her leather bag and Bellus.

Once ready she crept daintily across to Harry's room, watching for the creaking floorboard right outside her door. George, Ron and Harry were at the window pushing the two trunks outside to Fred. Grace froze at what she was seeing. Fred was sitting at the wheel of an old blue car that was floating in mid-air.

"Gosh," Grace said.

With one final heave the boys managed to get the trunks into the boot of the car. The boot was shut as quietly as possible while Fred turned the car around so the passenger door was facing the window. Ron climbed in first, followed by Harry in the back with Hedwig.

"Ladies first," George invited with a small bow.

Grace dipped her head in thanks and held the edge of the window with one hand. She cautiously stepped onto the windowsill but her grip on Bellus slipped. Yowling loud enough to wake the whole street the cat leapt out of Grace's arms back into the bedroom.

"THAT BLOODY CAT!" Uncle Vernon's shout came.

George managed to grab Bellus in his arms before she reached the door.

"Quick, go!" he urged Grace while Bellus scratched his arms.

Grace swung out of window and slid into the seat next to Harry. George was halfway across the room just as Uncle Vernon pounded through the open door. Bellus was tossed into the Grace's lap as George climbed out of the window. He was half in the car, ready to go when Uncle Vernon latched into his foot. In an effort to escape George's foot collided with Uncle Vernon's nose.

The collision was enough to loosen George's foot and allow him to land in the car, slamming the door behind him.

"Well that was some good fun," he said.

Grace turned back to have one last glance at Uncle Vernon who was clutching his nose in pain. The only thought she had while leaning her head onto George's shoulder was that he truly deserved it.

**Thank for reading! Hope you enjoyed it. Please review if you have any comments or questions.**


	3. Some Interesting Journeys

**I'm sorry for the long wait! School has recently started and I've already got two assignments. Well honestly I could go on for ages but I still got the chapter out late and I'm sorry. I promise I will try to be quicker next time. **

**Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter, definitely not me. **

Chapter Three: Some interesting Journeys

Once they had finished laughing at the Dursleys and Hedwig was let out to fly, Harry told the full story about what had happened the night Dobby had visited. Grace's mind whirred as she thought over what she had heard and what Harry had told her.

"Very fishy," said Fred.

"Definitely dodgy" agreed George.

"Well that night makes a whole lot more sense to me now than it did before," Grace commented. "But he never told you anything else?"

"I don't think he could," said Harry. "I told you, every time he got close to letting something slip; he started banging his head against the wall. And here are your letters, Grace."

Grace flicked through the envelopes to see Trina's scrawl, Miranda's print and more letters from Ciara, Hannah, Lara, Jesse and even a combined one from Fred and George. Disappointment sunk to her heart when she realized there were no letters from Nate.

"See we all still love you," George smirked down at her.

"Nate didn't send anything," she whispered back.

"Yeah well he's a right bastard," George said. "But we already knew that. What was with your room anyway?"

"What do you mean?"

"In case you hadn't noticed it's a teensy bit small. I know you said your uncle was a giant prick but we didn't think he was that bad. Then again maybe it's just because you're related."

Grace whacked him on the shoulder, quite hard too.

"My room is fine thank you very much. It's just a bit squishy because it's the laundry room as well. Not everyone can have a loving family," Grace said. George raised his eyebrows. " Just don't tell the girls."

George leaned over so he could speak quietly in Grace's ear. "You know it's too cheesy for me but the girls would all say that they're your family."

George had turned back to the boy's conversation.

"Percy's been acting very oddly this summer," said George, frowning. "And he has been sending a lot of letters and spending a load of time shut up in his room... I mean, there are only so many times you can polish a prefect badge... You're driving too far west, Fred."

"So, does your dad know you've got the car?" said Harry. Knowing Fred and George, whom Grace certainly did, she was guessing that Mr Weasley didn't know.

"Er, no," said Ron, "he had to work tonight. Hopefully we'll be able to get it back in the garage without mum noticing we flew it."

"You know I seriously doubt that's going to work," Grace said. "What is it your dad does at the ministry anyway?"

"He works in the most boring department," said Ron. "The Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office."

"The what?"

"It's all to do with bewitching things that are Muggle-made, you know, in case they end up back in a Muggle shop or house. Like, last year, some old witch died and her tea set was sold to an antiques shop. This Muggle woman bought it, took it home, and tried to serve her friends tea in it. It was a nightmare-Dad was working overtime for weeks. "

"What happened?" Harry and Grace asked at the same time.

"The teapot went berserk and squirted boiling tea all over the place and one man ended up in the hospital with the sugar tongs clamped to his nose. Dad was going frantic- it's only him and an old warlock called Perkins in the office -and they had to do Memory Charms and all sorts of stuff to cover it up-"

Grace was still in astonishment from the teapot story when Harry asked about the car.

"Yeah, Dad's crazy about everything to do with Muggles; our shed's full of Muggle stuff. He takes it apart, puts spells on it, and puts it back together again. If he raided our house he'd have to put himself under arrest. It drives Mum mad," Fred laughed.

"That's the main road," said George, leaning very closely over Grace to peer out the window. Grace squirmed uncomfortably from underneath him. "We'll be there in ten minutes... Just as well, it's getting light..."

He grinned at Grace as he straightened up. Grace turned to watch as Fred brought the car lower over trees and fields through the pink sunrise.

"We're a little way outside the village," said George. "Ottery St. Catchpole."

The sky was a deep red over the horizon becoming even brighter the closer they came to the ground. It was a beautiful way to welcome the new day.

"Touchdown," Fred said in triumph.

There was only a small bump as they landed in front of a rumble-tumble garage. Grace got out of the car into the little front yard to stare up at Fred and George's house. The first floor was made of stone and seemed to be the only part of the house that was structurally sound. Extra wooden rooms were added on the roof in a jumbling and crooked mess that looked like it was only being held up by magic. Grace counted at five chimneys on the roof. Plump chickens pecked their way around the yard and into the boots and cauldron that were lying on the doorstep. To complete the effect was a wooden sign standing unevenly in front of the entrance that read: 'The Burrow.'

"Gosh," Grace said. "I wish I could live here."

"We do too Gracie," Fred nodded.

"Then there would be another person to prank!" George grinned. "Now once we get inside and upstairs we'll wait for Mum to call us for breakfast. Then, Ron, you come bounding downstairs going, `Mum, look who turned up in the night!' and she'll be all pleased to see Harry and no one need ever know we flew the car."

"Uh-huh," Grace said, her eyes on the house. Mrs Weasley was storming across the yard, shooing the chickens away as she went. It surprised Grace how a woman who was normally so nice could transform into something so scary looking as soon as her children get into trouble. "What if you're mum is already downstairs and outside?"

Fred, George and Harry wheeled around. Ron, who had already seen his mother, was going a nasty green colour.

"Ah, "said Fred.

"Oh, dear," said George.

Mrs Weasley stopped in front of them, glaring at each one of her sons in turn. Even with her floral apron on, she was quite intimidating.

"So," she said.

"Morning, Mum," said George, in what he clearly thought was a jaunty, winning voice.

"Have you any idea how worried I've been?" Mrs Weasley whispered with the anger clear in her voice.

"Sorry, Mum, but see, we had to-," Fred stopped talking under his mother breaking rage.

"Beds empty! No note! Car gone-could have crashed-out of my mind with worry-did you care?-never, as long as I've lived-you wait until your father gets home, we never had trouble like this from Bill or Charlie or Percy-"

"Perfect Percy," Fred muttered, only angering his mother further.

"YOU COULD DO WITH TAKING A LEAF OUT OF PERCY'S BOOK!" yelled Mrs Weasley, prodding a finger in Fred's chest. "You could have died, you could have been seen, and you could have lost your father his job-"

Grace looked away uncomfortably. The lecture seemed to go on for hours and hours, worse than what Professor McGonagall gave the twins. Finally, with a very quiet voice she turned to Harry and Grace to say, "It is lovely to see you dears. Come in for some breakfast; you must be very hungry."

"Mrs Weasley, would you mind if I get changed first?" Grace asked on their way into the house. She was still dressed in her tatty old pyjamas.

The kitchen was cramped but comfy. The rest of the boys sat down of a wooden table and chairs in the middle of the room. Harry was looking round in wonder. A large mantelpiece was opposite the door they had walked in and was adorned with countless stacks of wizarding cookery books.

"Oh yes dear of course," Mrs Weasley said. "I'll keep some sausages warm for you. Just go up the stairs until you see Fred and George's room. You can stay with them."

Fred and George groaned and grumbled until their mother sent another glare their way. On Grace's way past she could have sworn the radio beside the sink announced, "Witching hour with popular singing sorceress Celestina Warbeck." Just as she was on first floor landing a red-haired girl in a pink dressing gown came out from the only door there. They exchanged one look and Grace said, "Be careful. Your mum's pretty angry at Fred and George."

Grace continued climbed up the twisting stairs lugging her trunk along with her until she was in front of a door labelled with 'Fred and George.' She pushed the door open, slightly scared of what she would find but went through anyway.

The room was surprisingly clean. Two unmade beds, draped with handmade quilts sat close together under the large open window. The doors of two wardrobes hung open, revealing one wardrobe of clothes and the other a collection of Zonko's products. The room has a burnt feel about it, like the aftermath of a bomb. Even through the bomb likeness, posters and photos on the wall as well as the smell of food wafting up from the kitchen made the room welcoming and happy.

Grace dropped her trunk on the other side of the room and searched through it for something to wear. She brushed through her loose red hair and slipped on a simple sleeveless dress.

Once presentable she headed down and sat with Mrs Weasley for breakfast. Luckily the boys had already left but by the way Mrs Weasley threw sausages onto Grace's plate she was still angry. Grace made sure to scarf down her breakfast and get outside to where the boys were de-gnoming the garden. None of them noticed her take a seat on the grass amid their shouts and throws.

It was pleasant outside right now. The wind ruffled her hair and created ripples in the black fabric of her skirt. Laughter filled the summer air.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

The rest of the summer spent at The Burrow was paradise to Grace. Not only was the bed more comfortable and the food much yummier but she got along with everyone here. It became something normal to hear howls coming from the ghoul in the attic or to wake up in the middle of the night a fire at the end of her camp bed. Fred and George constantly made her laugh with the pranks they pulled on Percy. When they got too much to bear she sat with Ginny and got to know Fred and George's sister.

Since leaving Privet Drive Grace had read and replied to all of her letters. At first they were normal; asking about her holidays, how bad her uncle had been, when she was able to come to Diagon Alley, all of the news in their love lives. Then they seemed worried and asked why she wasn't replying. Miranda had even invited her to stay at her house with the rest of the girls but once she didn't get an answer she had simply said that there was still a bed available and she was free to visit. All of them had sent immediate replies to Grace's letters expressing their anger at Dobby and relief that she was safe.

The plan was now to meet up at the ice cream parlour in Diagon Alley on Wednesday, when Harry and Ron would be meeting Hermione.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

On Wednesday morning Mrs Weasley woke them all bright and early. After scoffing down bacon sandwiches and pulling on their coats they gathered back by the fireplace. Mrs Weasley took a flowerpot off the mantelpiece to peer inside it.

"We're running low, Arthur," she sighed. "We'll have to buy some more today... Ah well, guests first! After you, Gracie!"

When Mrs Weasley offered her the flowerpot Grace stared back at her with wide eyes.

"What am I doing?"

"Floo powder Gracie," Fred told her.

"Simple as," George said.

"Keep your elbows in."

"Eyes closed."

"And get out at the right fireplace," Fred finished.

"Boys, don't confuse her," chastised Mrs Weasley. "All you have to do is toss the powder into the fire, step in and clearly say where you want to go. The twins can show you how to do it."

The advice had gone straight over Grace's head but she had the general idea. Throw powder, step in, state destination.

"No, no, Mrs Weasley," Grace insisted. "I'll be fine."

Doing just as she was told, Grace grabbed a handful of powder, threw it into the fire and stepped in. The flames licked up her legs but she only felt slight warmth.

"Diagon Alley!" she said.

In an instant she was spinning round and round and round. Green flashed before her eyes- she narrowed them enough to see- rooms blurred before her eyes- the roaring in her ears wouldn't stop- stones scraped her elbows but she had them tucked in- a row of bookshelves caught her eye. She wrenched herself out of the fireplace and tumbled to the floor of Flourish and Botts.

Squeezing her eyes shut to rid herself of the dizzying feeling from such a sickening journey, she didn't notice Fred coming out of the fireplace until he had tripped over her. They lay in a crumpled heap. Neither one of them moved as they groaned in pain.

George appeared in the fireplace the next second and looked down at them in amusement.

"How come Fred's allowed to sit on top of you but I'm not even allowed on your bed?"

Grace laughed at him. She disentangled herself from Fred and clambered to her feet.

"I'd let you on my bed if you didn't always explode stuff. Where's Harry?"

"He's coming straight after us," Fred said, currently rubbing his shoulder sorely.

Soon enough Ron, Percy, Mrs Weasley, Ginny and Mr Weasley had joined them but no Harry.

"I thought you said Harry was coming straight after you," Grace turned to Fred.

"Harry _did _leave straight after them," Mr Weasley said. "He probably just landed in the wrong grate. Diagon Alley does have a lot of fireplaces."

Grace's eyes widened. Harry could be anywhere in Diagon Alley.

"You and the boys go check the Leaky Cauldron," Mrs Weasley told them. "Ginny and I will look at the other shops nearby."

So they left. After checking the Leaky Cauldron and Madame Malkin's, Grace only got more and more frantic.

"Gracie, calm down he's right there," George said.

Grace sprinted off towards him, trailed closely by Percy, Ron, Fred, George and Mr Weasley.

Harry stood with one of Hagrid's giant arms around his shoulders and Hermione beside him. It was a wonder he could see through his broken glasses. His hair and clothes were covered in dirt which Grace set to brushing off immediately.

"Oh Harry, are you alright?" Grace asked. "I was really worried. I thought you'd got out at the Leaky Cauldron by mistake but then you weren't there and you weren't anywhere else. Where were you?"

"Knockturn Alley," Hagrid answered grimly.

"Brilliant!" said Fred and George in awe.

"Well it's brilliant when you're going there on purpose, not when you're lost!" Grace said.

Mrs Weasley was hurrying down the street towards them. Ginny clung to her hand tightly. Grace stepped aside to let her fuss over Harry.

"Yeah but think of all the cool things he would have seen," Fred argued. Together the Weasley, Potters and Hermione made their way to Gringotts. Everyone said farewell to Hagrid and thanked him profusely.

"I thought Knockturn Alley was for Dark magic," Grace said.

"It is!" said Fred.

"With shrunken heads!" George said.

"Wicked potions," Fred said.

"Think about all the ugly warlocks there would be," George added.

"That's disgusting!" Grace exclaimed.

"Now what's disgusting is your lack of adventure," George informed her.

Grace shut up on the Gringotts carts, fearing she would be sick. There was no stopping the terrible guilt she felt when Mrs Weasley opened their tiny vault. The least she could do was block the Potter vault from view as she collected her own money.

Once back out into the sun, they all decided on where they were going, where to meet up and set off.

"Wait!" Grace called at the twin's retreating backs. "I told the girls you would be here and meet them!"

"We'll catch up later!" Fred said.

"Yeah we've got to find Lee for Ciara," George said. "She wouldn't have any fun without him."

With a small shake of her head Grace left for Florean Fortescue's ice-cream parlour. She had sent Miranda a letter that morning to tell her when she would be in Diagon Alley and where they should meet.

She didn't even have to enter the shop before she spotted the girls forsaking the colourful umbrella to spread their legs out in the sun.

"Grace!" Ciara yelled. Her sandy hair was its favourite tight bun and her smile was just as bright as usual.

"I haven't seen you guys in ages," Grace complained as she took her seat.

"Yeah we've all been staying at Miranda's," Trina said. As impossible as it sounded she seemed even happier than last year.

"If only it wasn't for that elf," Lara commented.

Being away from Lara for two weeks made Grace realize how long her dark brown hair had grown.

At that moment, Florean Fortescue turned up, "Now what can I get you lovely ladies?"

"Double chocolate with cookie dough and brownie bits," Grace requested.

"Same as Grace," said Ciara.

"Green apple," said Trina.

"Coconut with choc chips please," Hannah asked.

"Green tea," Miranda said.

"Just some watermelon thanks," Lara said.

"Well anyway it's alright now," Grace said once Florean had left and returned with their ice-creams. "Both Harry and I are staying with the Weasleys and Harry has Ron."

"But I was going to make him and George friends," Miranda groaned, referring to her little brother. "That way he won't be a complete loner and doesn't have to sit with us."

It was obvious what had changed in Miranda over the holidays. She had replaced her glasses for green tinted contacts and been to a healer to straighten her teeth.

"Naw but your brother is so cute!" Hannah cooed. Not a thing had changed about her: same deep brown eyes, same shiny hair, same thoughtful face and same kind heart. Miranda shot her a look. "Or not."

"He'll make friends soon enough," Grace reassured. "Fred and George's sister is starting this year so I'm sure he'll be friends with her."

"Speaking of which: where are the boys?" Trina asked.

"They went to find Lee for Ciara," Grace said with a wink to Ciara. All of the girls started giggling.

They went on to talk about Ciara and Lee's relationship (still going strong.), Miranda and Louis ("He's such a cutie."), Trina and Oliver's feelings ("They should just realize they like each other and get together already."), how Grace should break up with Nate ("No matter what you're going to feel like a bitch so you just need to do it.") who was going to be the new DADA teacher and how much of an idiot Gilderoy Lockheart is.

Eventually the boys did come and even tried to steal what was left of Grace and Hannah's ice creams. They took over the conversation and changed it to the current ranking of the Quidditch teams. Finally at two' o'clock, Yvette Heathridge turned up to take the other girls home. Lee attempted to drag Ciara away with him. She screamed but didn't resist.

"I love you, Gracie," Trina called after Grace. "And I shall see you soon my love."

Grace stuffed her arms through Fred and George's on the way to Flourish and Botts. She was in for an hour of torture by golden-haired idiot but it was made slightly more enjoyable when Mr Weasley and Mr Malfoy had a brawl.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

"Just do it Grace," Miranda urged. "As soon as it's done we'll grab some food and run away."

Grace took a deep breath and stepped up to the compartment in front of her. Inside a group of Ravenclaws, including Nate and Louis, sat talking like a bunch of fifty year olds about their holidays. Nate caught sight of her through the window and almost flinched when she slid the door open.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" she said, her words directed at Nate.

The minute Grace was alone with him in the hallway her mind went blank.

"Nate I'm just. . . I . . . don't feel the same as you do. I probably did but I don't anymore. I'm really sorry. I don't think I can do this anymore."

Nate's eyes, those eyes she had fallen for, stared at her. They bore into her as if asking how she could do this to him.

"I hope we can still be friends," Grace finished lamely.

Nate didn't say a word as she turned to leave. Miranda stopped flirting with Louis to pull Grace into her arms.

"C'mon, we'll go find Harry," Miranda encouraged. With one last kiss blown in Louis's direction, Miranda dragged Grace off.

They searched the train for a while but only found Hermione alone, her head stuck in a book.

"Hi Grace, Miranda," she said. "How were your holidays?"

Before Grace could speak with some negative remark, Miranda spoke, "Good. We had lots of fun. Where're Harry and Ron?"

"I don't know," Hermione answer. Surprise crossed her face. "I thought that they were still with you or the Weasleys."

"No, they were after us coming onto the platform," Grace told her. Panic started to rise in her chest. They had certainly been rushed this morning but if she and the twins managed to get on the train surely Harry and Ron did? "Are you telling me they haven't made it onto the train?"

"They could have just found a compartment on their own or couldn't find Hermione," Miranda suggested. "There are still a lot of people running around the hallways."

"Well then we'll find them," Grace said. Miranda sighed at her.

After they had worked their way down the train and looked into every compartment, Miranda and Hermione resigned to the fact that Harry and Ron had not in fact made it onto the train.

"Where could they be?" Grace moaned. The three of them were walking back to the compartment that Grace's friends were in.

"Grace, Grace you have to have to see this!" Trina said from where everyone was crowded by the window.

Outside, gliding smoothly with the train, was Mr Weasley's car. Harry and Ron were sitting in the front, eating toffees and waving at them.

"Those idiots," Hermione hissed.

Grace couldn't help it. She laughed. The bubbles of mirth escaped her throat, slowly at first but then she just couldn't stop. Gasping for air and clutching her side she fell to the ground where her friends joined in with her amusement. Grace could barely see through the tears that were starting to cloud her eyes but Harry and Ron were still there. Of all the ways to get to Hogwarts that had to be the best.

**A/N: There you are! I hope you liked it. Please review with any comments or question!**


	4. Brothers of Blood and Bond

**A/N: So I'm hoping the wait for this one wasn't as long as the last chapter. I have a whole load of assignments that I am constantly trying to finish so that will be my reason why until next week. **

**Also I have tried for the first time to use a different point of view in some parts of this chapter. I am hoping it turned out alright but please tell me if it didn't. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.**

Chapter Four- Brothers of Blood and Bond

It took Grace another ten minutes to stop laughing. By the time she had sat back up Harry and Ron had flown away from the window. One look around the compartment showed that everybody had already gone back to their previous business from before Miranda, Hermione and Grace had arrived.

In an attempt to ignore Ciara and Lee snogging beside her, she pulled a magazine out of Ciara's bag to read. As interesting as the lives of the Weird Sisters were it still couldn't block out the vibes of love. Or the affectionate whispers of how much they missed each other over the holidays.

"Can you two just get a room already?" Grace snapped.

Surprised glances met the normally romantic Grace's eyes from everyone else in the compartment. Even Hermione looked up for a second before returning to her reading.

"Yeah, sure, we'll just stop," Ciara reluctantly moved off Lee's lap to squish between him and Grace. "Is anything wrong?"

"I'm just not in the mood for all this romantic crap," Grace sighed.

"Do we have to hex some sense into Nate?" Jesse said.

"I broke up with him," Grace told the boys in the compartment who didn't know.

"What?" George looked up from what he and Fred were planning. "Did the git do anything?"

"No, no," Grace denied. "I just got a bit sick of him."

Perhaps Grace didn't hide her sad expression quite well enough or perhaps the twins just knew her too well.

"Good for you," Fred said. "You wanna play Exploding Snap? It'll get your mind off him."

Within five minutes, the tips of Grace's hair were singed but a wide smile had appeared on her face.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

The rest of the train ride passed slowly. Everyone had shifted seating positions until they were half on the floor. With an hour to go there was two polite knocks on the door.

Lara raised her head to look through the window.

"It's Oliver. You have to get it, Trina."

Trina moaned. In a flail of arms and legs she got from where she was stretched on top of Grace, Hannah and Jesse.

"I hope he didn't see that," Hannah muttered in Grace's ear.

"Hey Ollie," Trina greeted once she had slid the door open. "How were your holidays?"

"Alright," he said in his thick Scottish accent. "We mostly just played Quidditch but it wasn't as fun as if you were there."

"Well I would happily cheer you on over anything else I was doing."

Trina twirled a piece of hair between her fingers.

"Do you mind if I sit in here for the rest of the ride?"

"No, not at all," Trina answered.

"But there is only one seat left," Ciara pointed out.

"Trina will just have to sit on Oliver's lap," Fred teased.

Only a few seconds later, once Trina had settled comfortably on Oliver's lap next to Grace, a whisper could be heard, "You really do look beautiful, Trina."

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

Grace had already reached the carriages by the time Miranda had exited the train. People jostled her this way and that as she fought her way through them. She had enough practise at Muggle concerts to know how to deal with over-excited shoving teens.

"Miranda!" a voice called. She turned around just in time to see her little brother, George appear out of the crowd. "I got on the train and I couldn't find you so I sat with these other first years. They were really weird though. They just kept talking about classes and spells they had already learnt. So I left them but I don't know where I'm going now."

He let out his breath in a huff. A wave of irritation swept over Miranda. She had been able to make friends on her first train ride, why couldn't George?

"Those kids probably just wanted to do well," Miranda said. "Hogwarts is a school, remember?"

"But. . . aw. I still don't know where I'm going."

"See tha giant man calling for the first years where the rest of them are going? That's where you go," Miranda pointed out. "Go on."

George took a few steps but stopped to look back uncertainly at his sister.

"George, go!" Miranda urged.

Finally he walked through the crowd to join the other first years. Miranda let out an annoyed sigh and turned to make her way to the carriages again.

Strong arms wrapped around her waist pulling her into a fit body. She turned her head to find herself face-to-face with Louis.

"Hey I'm sorry I didn't come to see you again," he said. He tugged her closer to plant a small kiss on her lips. "Nate's taking it pretty bad and I don't think it would have helped if I told him where I was going."

"Well he bloody deserves it doesn't he?" Miranda said.

Nate squirmed at the talk of his friend.

"How about we just go to the carriages?"

"Sure," agreed Miranda. "Just don't mention Nate in front of Grace, okay?"

Together they walked to the carriages with Louis' arm tight around Miranda's waist.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

The Great Hall buzzed with excitement. Golden plates and goblets glittered with delight and candles lit up the scene with their flickering light.

On the Gryffindor table a certain girl's eyes scanned the table for her brother.

"Where _is _he?" she exclaimed. Frustration laced her voice. "They weren't that far behind the train."

"You really think the teachers would just let them get away with this?" Ciara said.

"Oh." Grace's mouth stayed perfectly round as she quickly spotted the empty seat at the staff table. "Not Snape! He'll kill them or torture them or something like that!"

"I really doubt that," Ciara said dryly.

"Shut up you two," Miranda interrupted. "The sorting's about to start."

Two rows of first years walked into the hall, led by Professor McGonagall, to stand uneasily at the front of the hall, just near the Sorting Hat. Scared looks were on all of their faces at the stares from every student in the school.

Grace lost concentration during B's and C's but instantly perked back up when they got to H.

"Heathridge, George."

George walked up to the stool with shaky legs. His worried eyes found Miranda's for reassurance. With a small smile she encouraged him to put the hat on his head.

Barely a second had passed before the hat opened its mouth and shouted, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

Miranda looked shocked for a moment before she realised how silent she had become. The cheers that she produced for her brother were overwhelming.

"Woo! George!" the girls all screamed after shrugging off Miranda's enthusiasm.

George himself took a seat on the Hufflepuff table, looking scared but was welcomed by a curly-haired kid with a grinning face.

"I guess that was a surprise," Grace said, ignoring the rest of the sorting.

"Siblings aren't always in the same house," Hannah said. "My brother's in Ravenclaw."

"Unless you're the Weasleys," Ciara pointed out. "They're just all in Gryffindor."

"Not always," Fred said.

"We have an 8th cousin who was in Hufflepuff," George added.

"Doesn't count," Grace said.

She watched a blonde girl float up to the stool and get sorted into Ravenclaw.

"Have you planned when to do Quidditch trials, Oliver?" Hannah asked.

"We've already got the perfect team," Oliver replied, the passion showing in his voice. "This year we're _going _to win the cup. We just need to train more, harder and earlier."

Ciara, Hannah, Fred and George groaned. After five minutes of strategy talk, Trina finally stepped in.

"Ollie, can we not talk about Quidditch now please?"

"Yeah everyone shut it," George butted in.

"Ginny's getting sorted," Fred explained.

Everyone's attention turned back to the Sorting Hat. All of them knew what house Ginny was going to get sorted into but watched anyway. Within seconds their predictions were verified with a shout of "GRYFFINDOR!" Yet again, Grace and her friends exploded with cheers loud enough for the whole table. Fred and George came very close to standing on the table until Miranda and Grace pulled them down.

Once Ginny was seated between Miranda and Fred, Professor Dumbledore stood to address the students. Professor McGonagall had already taken away the Sorting Hat and stool.

"Welcome, welcome," Professor Dumbledore started. "I'm sure you are all very eager to dig into your dinner."

"Yeah so hurry up," Jesse growled.

"But first you must listen to me for another few minutes. Mr Filch has asked me to remind you once more that Dungbombs are explicitly banned in corridors and classrooms."

"Like that's going to stop us," George commented.

"Also I would like to introduce our new Defence Against the Dark Arts, Professor Gilderoy Lockhart."

Professor Lockhart stood in sky blue dress robes, flourishing them dramatically to take a deep bow.

"You're kidding," Ciara said.

"Well he has to be kidding because that idiot could never teach us," Lara reasoned. "All he cares about is publicity and not actual Defence work. I've read his books, all of which are a load of crap, and he always makes sure that a camera is there to catch him looking pretty but there's no actual proof of him doing anything."

"Now all I have to say is enjoy the roast ham," Professor Dumbledore finished.

"Oh I sure will," Grace grinned. Her knife and fork were lifted up in an attack position, ready to demolish any food coming her way.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

"I want more," Grace groaned, staring at George's chocolate pudding enviously.

"You've had three bowls of pudding plus waffles and ice cream," he said with amusement.

"I know," Grace frowned. "But it was so good."

"Why did I eat that much?" Miranda moaned and banged her head down on the table.

"Because the two of you are stupid," Fred smirked.

"You think you could help me up to the common room?" Grace asked George. A pout was forming on her lips as she stared at him with wide eyes.

"Come here," he smiled. Leaning on, and sometimes being carried by George, Grace made her way up to the common room, followed by Fred and Miranda. Everyone else had already left a few minutes before them.

She slumped into an arm chair. Her eyelids weighed down. Sleepiness filled her head.

The portrait hole opened up to cheers and applause. Grace's focus immediately returned and she jumped up to talk to her brother.

"Harry!" she greeted and gave him a big hug.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Hermione storm upstairs.

"Are you going to lecture us too?" Ron asked.

"Well. . . I mean . . . as your older responsible sister, I really should but . . . I guess Hermione already did." Grace said. "Anyway it was funny to watch. I didn't stop laughing for ages. And it's not like it's your fault you couldn't get on the train. Just d-d-don't," Grace's mouth split open in a huge yawn. "I think I might go to bed now. Goodnight."

Supressing another yawn, Grace patted both boys on the head and dragged her feet up the stairs.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

Fred and George watched Grace go upstairs before walking over to Harry and Ron with Jesse and Lee close behind.

"Wicked entry," Fred said.

"Marvellous," George added.

Harry and Ron grinned at each other.

"Listen mate we have a plan for something and needed your help," George started.

"Your dear sister has recently had her heart broken by a Ravenclaw bastard," Jesse informed them.

"We can't let him go unpunished, now can we?" Fred finished.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

The next morning Grace was walking down to breakfast alone. Miranda, Ciara and Trina were still getting ready and Lara and Hannah had left for breakfast half an hour ago.

She was humming her way down the Charms corridor, having decided to take the long walk down this morning when a rather strange noise stopped her.

Coming from a nearby broom closest were even, rumbling snores. Grace walked forward and yanked open the broom closet. Out of the closet tumbled Nate who fell to the floor with shock registering on his face as he woke up.

"What the hell are you doing sleeping in a broom closet?" Grace asked a bemused expression on her face.

"I didn't get in there myself," Nate grumbled and got to his feet. "Your stupid friends and brother locked me in there last night."

She couldn't help herself; a smile spread across her face.

"Well I guess I'll have to thank Fred and George at breakfast."

"Yeah them, your brother and more of your friends."

"Okay, Nate, as much as they have the same hair as me, Fred and George aren't actually my brothers," Grace said as if talking to a five year old. It was surprising how many people mistook Fred, George and Grace as siblings.

"No Harry was there too," Nate insisted. "He didn't do much. Probably felt bad cuz he's a noble ass."

Grace scowled at his words. The way Nate said 'noble ass' made her think that he actually didn't admire Harry all that much.

"As lovely as it's been chatting with you," Grace said. Her tone was layered with obvious sarcasm. "I think I might let you re-examine the inside of that broom closet while you think over your _wonderful _personality."

Grace shoved Nate hard in the chest, straight back into the closet and swung back around to skip her way down to the Great Hall.

**Thank you for reading! Please review with any comments or questions!**


	5. First Week Back

**A/N: Sorry, sorry, and sorry! I can't apologise enough for how late this is. I know I promised I wouldn't do it again but I got swamped with assessment and I had my birthday so I was just really busy. The holidays are coming up so I shall write more then. **

**This chapter is dedicated to sweetstrawberrysmiles. If you like Ouran High School Host Club, Avengers or other anima, go read her stories! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only my OCs. The world of magic belongs to JKRowling. **

Chapter Five: First Week Back

Grace was strolling down the steps to the entrance hall when she heard three pairs of footsteps hurrying up from behind her. Trina, Miranda and Ciara gathered around her, suspicious looks on their faces.

"Why did we just hear Nate screaming from a broom cupboard?" Trina inquired.

"Like a girl, too," Ciara added.

Grace sighed.

"I didn't put him there, if that's what you're asking. The boys, including Harry of all people, must have done it last night."

"Wait- your brother, the friendly, noble, do-gooder Harry, shoved a guy into a cupboard?" Miranda asked with her eyebrows raised.

"He-well- he probably didn't shove- or even push," Grace said. "Fred and George most likely just talked him into coming with them."

"If you saw him there, and talked to him by the sounds of it, then why was he still in the cupboard?" Trina asked.

"Not that he didn't deserve to be there," Ciara noted.

"He said something bad about Harry so I slammed the door on him," Grace shrugged.

"I never really liked the guy," Miranda commented as they took their seats next to Fred and George. "And he wasn't that cute either."

Grace scowled at her.

"What took you girls so long to get down here?" Fred asked them.

"Oh please a girl needs time to look beautiful," Trina waved off the question.

"No, you're just always beautiful," Oliver said, sliding into the seat next to Trina. His face was flushed and his hair was sweaty from his early morning run around the pitch.

In a rush of feathery wings a pack of owls flew in from overhead, dropping packages and letters to their recipients on their way for breakfast.

"I hope your mum sent you some food," Grace mentioned to George. "I miss it already."

"I think she sent something a whole heap better," George replied with his eyes on the red envelope Ron was pulling out of Hermione's jug of milk.

"What's so amazing about a red envelope?" Grace asked.

"You mean a Howler?" Miranda said. "Worst letters you could ever receive. My cousin got one once when I was staying with her."

"What are they?" Grace said.

"You'll see," Miranda replied, her eyes on Ron's smoking envelope.

Frowning, Grace turned to look at Ron and waited patiently for the supposedly terrible letter. A second later she thought a bomb must have gone off in the form of Mrs Weasley's voice.

"STEALING THE CAR, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF THEY'D EXPELLED YOU, YOU WAIT TILL I GET HOLD OF YOU, I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU STOPPED TO THINK WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I WENT THROUGH WHEN WE SAW IT WAS GONE-"

Grace's eyes widened. Fred, George and Miranda were laughing their heads off while the others were searching for the source of the noise. It was difficult as all that could be seen of Ron was the top of his bright red hair.

"LETTER FROM DUMBLEDORE LAST NIGHT, I THOUGHT YOUR FATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAME, WE DIDN'T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS, YOU AND HARRY COULD BOTH HAVE DIED-ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED-YOUR FATHER'S FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK, IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT AND IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT BACK HOME."

In the silence that echoed around the hall afterwards a pin could have been heard dropping to the stone floor.

"Ahh it feels great to have her yell at someone else for once," Fred sighed, stretching his arms back over his head.

"Speaking of someone yelling at you two," Grace started. "I happened to find Nate locked in a cupboard this morning. As much as I think that he deserves to be there can you please _not _lock my ex-boyfriend up? I don't want anything to do with him and I'm not particularly angry at him but even if I was I would deal with it, not have you do it for me. Also can you not coerce my young innocent brother into doing terrible things with you?"

Grace ended with her eyebrows raised at the two boys until they gave in.

"Okay, okay we're sorry," they both said and raised their hands in defeat.

"We promise next time a guy breaks your heart we won't punish him," George said.

"But, just in case, don't hold us to that promise," Fred added.

Grace giggled. She swung her book bag onto her shoulder, took one last gulp of milk and stood.

"Well I'm going to class, see you there," she said, leaving half a bowl of porridge on the table and walking away before turning around to say, "Thank you for doing that, boys."

"She really confuses me," George commented. "One minute she's angry at us and the next she's thanking us for the same thing."

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

The next two days passed quickly, with no mention of Nate at all. It wasn't until Wednesday that they had a class with Professor Lockhart. Everyone shuffled into class and fell into seats, bored already.

"Meet your new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defence League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award, Me."

Grace shared an amused look with Miranda beside her. The man was too full of himself for his own good.

"Now I thought we might start the term with a little fun and games. How does that sound?"

A murmur of excited apprehension ran throughout the class.

"First off let's have a quiz, shall we? And there's a box of Honeydukes chocolate in it for the winner."

Grace sat up straight in her chair, her eyes wide with delight. Lockhart walked around the room with a bounce in his step, handing out a collection of papers. Grace took one look at the quiz and groaned. The first question read:

_What is Gilderoy Lockhart's middle name?_

There was no way Grace could know that. She had skimmed through the first book but upon seeing nothing of interest, she threw aside and hadn't touched the rest. Lara and Hannah had probably read them all though.

Flicking through the pages of the quiz Grace answered the few questions that were actually about defence as they were all simple but then was stumped.

Once Lockhart's back was turned, Grace ripped the back page out of _Magical Me. _On it she wrote: _Lara, this is a ridiculous test, do you think you could please help me? Gracie. _She scrunched the page into a ball and tossed it lightly across the room at Lara's head.

It bounced off her dark brown hair onto the desk in front of her. With a flick of her head she turned around to meet Grace's eyes quizzically. Grace gave her a small smile and nod. Lara turned her head back to the paper and scribbled her own response. It landed on Grace's desk within a few seconds.

_No way! I'll give you some chocolate if I win but I'm not going to help you cheat. Besides it's not like it's going to matter anyway._

Grace nodded to herself and turned back to Lara for thumbs up.

Lockhart gave them another ten minutes to finish up before collecting the quizzes, by hand onto his desk.

"That's kind of odd, you know," Ciara whispered.

"What?" Miranda and Grace hissed back.

"Not using magic to collect a test. It's not that big a thing but it means he's either incompetent or prefers the Muggle way of doing things."

Miranda and Grace rolled their eyes at her.

"Wonderful, wonderful!" Lockhart said. "I'm sure you'll all score highly on that quiz. There'll be a great competition for the chocolate! While I mark them, boys and girls, you can have another challenge. Break yourselves up into pairs and time how long it takes you to disarm the other. Off you go!"

Uncertain looks were shared by everyone in the classroom but they all got to their feet to find a partner. Grace and Miranda worked together while Ciara set off to find Trina.

"How are we supposed to do this?" Miranda grumbled. "He expects us to know disarming spells after all of the terrible teachers we've had?"

"We did learn a couple of charms last year," Grace pointed out, setting up her watch to time them.

"Defensive spells, not attack," Miranda argued.

"Come on, let's just try," Grace suggested. "Ready. . . Set . . . Go!"

"Expellirarmus!" Miranda shouted at the same time that Grace yelled, "Protego!"

A wavering shield hovered in front of Grace's face but was swiftly broken by Miranda's charm. In a short burst Grace's wand pulled tightly away from her hand, however she was able to maintain a tight grip on it and soon enough the charm ceased to work.

"Rikktisumpra," Grace said.

Miranda fell to the ground, clutching her side as the Tickling Curse took over, causing her to cough and wheeze with laughter. There wasn't enough strength in her body to continue holding her wand so it slipped out to the ground where Grace immediately snatched it up.

She cast the counter-curse on Miranda straight after stopping the timer. It had taken her one minute and twelve seconds to disarm Miranda.

"That shouldn't count," Miranda gasped. "You didn't actually disarm me."

"Considering what everyone else is doing, I think it should count," Grace said.

All around the classroom, chaos reigned. A distinct screech of "Ow, my eye!" came from one corner. Two Slytherin boys had decided to wrestle each other for their wands instead while their female counterparts stood arguing over who should win. Megan, a blonde Ravenclaw, kicked her opponent in the shin until he gave up his wand. Hannah and Lara sat on their desk, with Lara holding both of their wands in her hands, having finished the challenge quickly.

Miranda and Grace were forced to duck at the variety of spells that were flying their way, even a Filibuster's cracker.

"I really hope the rest of the term isn't like this," Grace wished.

For the last half hour of the lesson, Miranda and Grace hid under their table, eventually joined by Trina, Ciara, Lara and Hannah. By the time the bell rang, signalling the end of the day, all six girls were praying for a different teacher. The rest of the night Grace spent in the hospital wing, healing those who were injured in class.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

Grace had to work extra hard at the hospital wing that night to help nurse all of the victims from Professor Lockhart's first lessons. It didn't help that Jesse was distracting her the whole time with his broken hand. The work continued the next night until finally Grace got a break.

"So," Grace said, exhaling as she flopped onto the couch next to Harry. "How was your first week back?"

"Good," he said. "We've had some interesting classes.

"Like what?"

"We replotted Mandrakes in Herbology and Lockhart released a cage of Cornish pixies."

"Cornish pixies?" Grace repeated.

"Freshly caught Cornish pixies," Harry imitated perfectly, causing Grace to burst out laughing.

"Well I guess you're lucky," Grace said. "He gave us a 'lesson' in duelling. No practise, no teaching us anything, just off and disarm your partner. Five people were sent to the hospital wing."

Harry's eyes raised above his glasses. "I guess I should be glad that the pixies destroyed all the paintings of Lockhart."

"No, they've already been replaced," Grace informed him seriously.

Harry groaned.

"By the way, I've been meaning to ask you about Nate," Grace started. "He said that you helped Fred and George lock him in a cupboard. I wanted to ask whether they made you do it."

"I didn't really do much but I went there myself," he explained. "Fred and George said that he hurt you so I went along with it."

"Oh Harry," Grace sighed. "He didn't actually hurt me. Fred and George say I'm overprotective but, I swear every time something small happens to any of the girls, they go mental."

"Lucky they're Beaters then," Harry grinned. "If anything happens they can just whack a few Bludgers around."

"Are you looking forward to getting back on the pitch?"

"Yeah," the grin seemed to widen. "I have a feeling we're going to win the cup this year. We have a great team, so why not?"

"You're starting to sound like Oliver; only you're not infatuated with Trina."

"Gracie!" Miranda called from the doorway of the boys' dormitory. "Can you help me with our Potions homework?"

"Yeah, I'll be up in a second," Grace replied. "I'll see you at training tomorrow. My friends and I are going to have breakfast down at the stadium. Have a good sleep."

Grace pressed a kiss to Harry's head and ruffled his hair before dragging her feet up the stairs.

The problem with going to the boys' room when she was this tired was that it meant she ended up sleeping there for the night.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

"Finally it's Saturday," Miranda sighed, relaxing into Louis's tight hold. "Didn't come soon enough."

"After that horrid DADA lesson, I'm glad to just watch the team train," Grace said as she wobbled along the beaches with her arms balancing her out.

"Godric don't even talk to me about that awful teacher," Lara complained. "Dumbledore's a good headmaster and all but to leave us with him. At least he didn't try another 'fun and games' lesson."

Lee cheered as Ciara tossed the Quaffle over Oliver's shoulder, straight into the hoop.

"Yeah, that's my girl!"

"C'mon, Ollie! You can do better than her!" Trina screamed up at her potential boyfriend.

"what's going on with you and him anyway?" Grace asked. She jumped down from the highest bleacher to land next to Trina. An intrigued smile crept onto her face and she propped her chin onto her hands.

"Well. .. I dunno . . . I really like him," Trina explained. "And he's said he likes me. He's just too shy to do anything yet."

"Too shy?" Jesse snorted. "He's been planning to do something romantic so you'll remember it forever and ever."

He clutched his hands to his heart and gasped mockingly. All of the girls cooed at his words.

"Don't make fun of him, dumbass!" Trina scowled at Jesse.

"Oh so I'm guessing you don't want to hear what else he said?" Jesse smirked.

"Please tell us! Please! Please! Please!" the girls chanted.

"There may have been the mention of a picnic, strawberries and cherry blossoms."

"You forgot that it was tonight," Lee added, his eyes still on Ciara.

Trina erupted into a bout of squeals. Jesse and Lee looked slightly alarmed while the rest of the girls exchanged happy looks.

"Wow," Lee said once Trina had calmed down. "Ciara looks incredibly sexy on her broom."

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

"Ollie, where are we going?" Trina whined, almost playfully.

"It's only a bit further," he responded.

The sun was setting over the Hogwarts grounds so it cast the perfect light over the walking couple. Only moments before Oliver had asked Trina to go for a walk by the lake and now he led her along the bank with hands over her eyes.

"Here," Oliver said.

He moved his hands from Trina's eyes to reveal the scene before them. A red and white checkered rug spread across the ground, topped with baskets of strawberries: chocolate covered, in tarts, with other berries or simply on the side to other delicious treats. Draped in the trees were delicate strings of cherry blossoms.

"Oh wow . . . its perfect," Trina breathed. "You did this all for me?"

"I've been asking Hannah and Ciara for advice all week. I really wanted to make tonight special for you," Oliver said, shuffling his feet ever so slightly.

"So the boys were right when they said you were nervous all week?"

"You don't meet a girl like you every day, Trina, so course you made me nervous."

"Naw," Trina blushed, taking a step closer to him. "You know you're pretty amazing yourself. And romantic too."

Now they were only inches apart.

"Do you want something to eat?" Oliver asked, gesturing lamely at the picnic.

Trina automatically agreed. She took Oliver's hand in her own and pulled him to the ground.

Even when she was trying to eat neatly, half of the strawberries were gone in minutes.

"These are sooo good, Ollie," Trina gushed. "Where did you even get them?"

"Professor Sprout has a secret strawberry patch," he explained. "I saw them when I was flying over the grounds."

"Well I like them almost as much as I like you."

"So you like me too?"

"Since the start of third year I guess."

"Will you go out with me?"

"I don't see why not."

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes!"

Trina leapt across the rug and wrapped her arms around Oliver's neck while he sat there in shock. Above them the stars twinkled merrily.

"Does this mean I have to learn the rules of Quidditch?"

**I'll post again soon! Please review with any questions or comments. **


	6. Just a Normal Saturday and Sunday

**Hi guys! I didn't disappear on you again! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. The world of magic belongs to JKRowling. **

Chapter Six: Just a normal Saturday and Sunday

Although the night was exciting for Trina and Oliver, the rest of them trooped up the stairs to the Gryffindor Common Room, wondering what the hell they were going to do for the rest of the night. Fred and George walked slightly ahead of them, whispering madly into each other's ears.

"Let's just take the revolving stairs cuz I'm that lazy," Miranda suggested.

They had just arrived at the portrait of Merlin when Louis appeared.

"Hey Miranda. I thought we were going to hang out tonight."

"No," Miranda corrected. "I said we could hang out _later _when I was free and anyway I want to spend time with some of my friends as well."

"But . . . we . . . I'll miss you," Louis stammered.

""I was with you all day," Miranda pointed out. "I just need a little girl time."

"Respect the lady's wishes, mate," Fred butted in. "And if you'll excuse us, we have some business to attend to."

Louis had a slightly disgruntled look on his face but nevertheless still turned around, grumbling, and walked down the corridor. Miranda threw Fred a grateful look as Grace slung an arm over her shoulders.

"Glad he's finally gone," George said. "Are we going to get this party started?"

Grace suddenly realised what he and Fred had been whispering about.

"I thought we were just going to sit in your dorm and do nothing?" Lara asked.

"As exciting as that sounds, I think I'll go with the party," Ciara said with a roll of her eyes.

After Ciara, Grace and Miranda convinced Lara and Hannah to 'let loose on a Saturday night', they bid the boys farewell as they headed down to the kitchen for food and drinks.

"Well I'm sure Trina's having a great time anyway," Hannah sighed, making her way up the revolving stairs behind them.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

Two and a half hours later music was thumping out of the radio in the boys' dormitory.

"Don't you want me, baby?" Ciara and Grace screamed at the top of their lungs. "Don't you want me? Ohhh!"

Around them almost everyone was sprawled in some way, shape or form on a bed. Miranda was perched on the end of Fred's bed, half-drunk Butterbeer in hand, shaking with laughter at their terrible dancing.

Just as the song ended, the door to the dormitory opened and in walked Trina and Oliver. Their hands were intertwined tightly. It was so obvious what had happened that they may as well have a sign over their heads.

"Oh my god, congratulations!" Lara screamed.

Ciara and Grace were the first ones to get to Trina. They pulled her away from Oliver into a giant hug, questioning her all the while.

"How did he ask you?" Grace inquired.

"Where did he take you?" Ciara probed.

"Did you kiss?" Miranda teased. She made smooching noises at Trina along with puckered lips.

As Trina gushed over he answers to their questions, the boys slapped Oliver on the back.

"You finally plucked up the courage, mate," Fred congratulated.

"Don't know what's so hard about it," Lee grumbled. "Six little words and you get a girlfriend."

"Then again," Fred started.

"She could reject you," George finished. Wicked grins spread across both of their faces.

In the excitement, nobody seemed to notice Trina and Oliver catch each other's eyes, sweet smiles lifting their lips.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

The sun poured through the windows of the boys' dormitory. The five beds were empty; most of them messy and unmade. The room was quiet except for the snores from where Grace and Miranda were curled up in a corner.

To celebrate Trina and Oliver's happy night, Fred and George went back to the kitchens for another round of Butterbeers. Oliver, Trina, Hannah and Lara headed to their own rooms at eleven' o'clock. The party died down quickly after that but Miranda, Ciara and Grace ended up sleeping there for the night.

Grace stirred. Her eyes blinked many times to adjust to the bright light. It took her a few moments to come to her senses and then she clambered to her feet.

Among George's clothes she managed to find a jumper and shirt that fit her. By the time she had freshened up in the bathroom Miranda was awake and dressed. Yawns cut off their morning greetings. They both headed down to breakfast together.

"Miranda!" a voice called from behind them.

"Oh, hey, Louis," Miranda said, waving slightly.

"I missed you last night," he said.

Grace scoffed at the cheesy, romantic boy.

"Oh, well, we had fun," Miranda informed him. "Lots of Butterbeer and happy couples."

Grace's stomach reminded her of where they had originally been heading.

"How come you're wearing one of Fred's shirts?" Louis interrogated.

"I think I'm going to go to breakfast, Grace interrupted. Miranda glared daggers into the back of her head. "See you later."

As Grace descended the marble staircase, she could hear Miranda say, "I borrowed his shirt. It got late so Grace, Ciara and I slept in his dormitory. Grace is even wearing one of George's shirts!"

Watching Louis and Miranda argue made Grace thank Merlin that she didn't have a boyfriend. Just as she tiredly made her way across the fourth floor corridor she caught sight of Harry and Ron in front of her.

"Morning boys," she smiled. "Heard you had your detention last night."

Ron groaned loudly.

"Filch made me clean the entire trophy room. Without magic. I did get to bed until past midnight," he complained.

Grace snorted.

"I do that willingly in the hospital wing," she said, laughing at Ron's appalled face. "What about you, Harry?"

"Replying to fan mail with Lockhart," he grimaced. His mouth was open to say more but was interrupted by a boy running towards them, screaming Harry's name.

"Hiya Harry!" he said breathlessly.

"Hi Colin," Harry replied. "We should get to breakfast. Grace is really hungry, aren't you?"

At Harry's pleading eyes, Grace nodded her head fervently. Colin turned to Grace, his eyes widening.

"You're Grace Potter aren't you?" he recognized. "People don't really mention you as much but you're still really famous. Is it true that you were in Harry's crib when You-Know-Who attacked?"

"Yeah," Grace answered.

"Can I get a photo of you and Harry? Please?" he begged.

As much as Grace didn't want her photo taken while her eyes were red and hair messy, the young boy's eyes were so happy that she just couldn't resist.

"I don't think Grace really wants her picture taken, Colin," Harry was explaining.

"No, no, no, Harry, it's fine," Grace assured him.

Colin's grin said it all. Grace wrapped an arm around Harry's waist and smiled for the camera. Colin took the photo in a flash, thanked them many times over and raced away.

"So . . . looks like you've got yourself a fanboy?" Grace laughed.

"Shut up," Harry grinned but it quickly faded and his face turned serious. "Grace, when I was in Lockhart's office last night, I heard a voice. It said it wanted to _tear _and _kill_."

"It wasn't just someone playing a prank on you and Lockhart in the corridor was it?" Grace asked.

"No, Lockhart couldn't hear it," he answered.

"You don't think you were just tired?" Grace frowned. Really, she knew that Harry wouldn't make a mistake like that but the thought of someone wanting to tear and kill scared her so much that she hoped he did.

"No, I definitely heard it," Harry insisted.

"Hearing voices isn't necessarily a bad thing," Grace started cautiously. "But it sounds like it so be careful. You never know, though, we do go to a magical school. Hogwarts does have many secrets; one of them might just be floating voices. Just tell me if it happens again."

"Yeah thanks Gracie," Harry said.

He left her to go sit with Hermione, giving her a small wave goodbye. Grace headed off to her own friends.

She could barely contain her yawns while pouring her milk.

"See that's why you don't stay up so late," Lara scolded.

"I thought it was so your boyfriend doesn't accuse you of cheating," Miranda sighed as she sat down next to Grace.

"What happened?" Grace asked, handing Miranda the jug of freshly brewed coffee.

"Oh the usual," she said. "He thought I had 'slept with Fred'. I told him I hadn't and now he's sulking. I honestly don't know if I'm more annoyed at Fred for being Fred or Louis for being a possessive, little brat."

"You know what I think?" Fred said. "I think you should ditch the scrawny Ravenclaw and see how great Fred Weasley is."

Even as she laughed along with everyone else, near crying at Miranda's outraged expression, Grace couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that was brewing in her tummy.

**Thanks for reading! Please review with any comments or questions. I promise I shall update soon. **


	7. There's always a bit of teenage fun

**Again, I'm really sorry for the late update and the disappearing act. With Christmas and homework and excursions and graduations I had trouble finding time to write. **

**Also this chapter doesn't have much Harry in it. It was originally going to be much longer but then that was a taking a long time so I cut it down. At least now there'll be a fun chapter before the serious ones. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. JKRowling owns all characters, places and ideas except for the OCs which are mine. **

Chapter Seven- There's always a bit of teenage fun

The next few weeks passed swiftly once Grace's teachers started to pile on homework. Most nights were spent curled up in the library until the cold weather forced her closer to the common room fire.

Steadily more and more layers of clothing were donned during the many fierce training sessions Oliver held. It seemed he really was set on winning the cup.

It wasn't long before they reached the start of October. For Grace, that meant Miranda's birthday. For others it meant Halloween. But they had 25 days to wait.

The morning of the 6th of October started like any other. Alarms rang around the dormitory to jerk them out of their slumber. Owls twittered in the distance as they flew in the morning light. Curtains were thrown aside and presents were picked up in a rush.

Miranda rolled over, her hands flailing through the hangings of her four-poster bed, hair stuck messily to her face. Standing around her, with wrapped-up goodies and handmade in their hands, were her dorm-mates.

"Happy birthday!" they screamed in her face.

"Mmmgnn," Miranda mumbled into her pillow.

"Come on," Grace urged, pulling Miranda's blankets away from her. "Open my present first."

"You mean ours," Ciara nudged Trina.

"Ollie put in a couple of Galleons too," Trina added.

Miranda sat up in bed and pulled the present towards her. A single tear broke through the brown paper before Grace stopped her.

"Wait!" she shouted. "Open the card first."

Even though she rolled her eyes, Miranda still opened the card. Stuck on top of a folded piece of parchment was a photo Fred had sneakily taken a few weeks ago. Ciara and Grace were serenading Miranda while Trina sat laughing at her feet.

"Aw that's cute . . . and quite hilarious," Miranda cooed. One hand crept over to rip the paper away from the packaging of her new designer perfume, Witch's Wonderment. Her mouth fell open. "I've wanted this for ages, ever since I saw an ad in Witch Weekly. I only told my mum though."

"Well . . . uhm . . . I happened to send your mum a letter," Grace explained it with a rueful smile.

"You're too sweet, Gracie," Lara shook her head. "Well here's Hannah and I's present."

Miranda once again tore the paper off to reveal a pair of beautiful dangly pearly earrings.

"And don't even talk about them being too expensive because we made them ourselves," Lara said.

Miranda thanked them all repeatedly until Ciara pointed out that unless they hurried up they would be late for potions. The thought of an angry Snape made them hurry out of their dorm in no time.

"Miranda!" Louis called out from the Ravenclaw where he had been leaning against one wall. "Happy birthday, my gorgeous girl."

"Oh god, here we go," Miranda muttered, causing the others to frown curiously at her.

"I've been waiting here for you," Louis said.

"Here: I got you something."

In his hands was a square velvet box. Inside lay a golden charm that read, 'you + me = forever', hanging from a delicate chain.

"Wow . . . thanks," Miranda said unenthusiastically.

They continued to make their way downstairs, chatting along the way.

"That necklace is very committing, isn't it?" Ciara commented to Louis, who was trailing behind them.

"Miranda and I are very committed," Louis answered. Miranda's face didn't say the same thing.

"Oh come on, there's some special birthday pancakes, just for you," Grace tugged Miranda away.

"Sorry Louis," Trina apologized. "A girl's gotta eat."

"Oh well I guess I'll see her later then."

"That's the spirit!" Trina encouraged.

Lara and Hannah each gave him a small smile but the wary dislike still lingered in their eyes.

Meanwhile Miranda complained to Grace and Ciara.

"He's so clingy! I'm barely 15 and he thinks we're getting married! School relationships never last and this one won't!"

"Why don't you just break up with him?" Grace asked, helping herself to hash browns.

"He's never had a girlfriend before, probably not use to it. I feel bad for him, ya know?"

"No," was the general reply.

"I'll do it today," Miranda sighed. "Wish me birthday luck."

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

"So do we want fireworks or confetti at the door?" Fred inquired, weighing the two boxes in his hands.

"Isn't it bad to set off fireworks inside?" Grace raised her eyebrows.

"Well . . . yeah," Fred answered. "But what's fun without a few scorch marks?"

"Considering we're in the kitchens I think we should just go with confetti," Grace decided.

Fred's face fell but the second Grace's back was turned, his wicked grin reappeared as he pulled the fireworks from out of their box.

"George," Grace started. "What _are _you doing?"

George stood on a table, reaching up to spread streamers along the roof. So far he had managed to wrap half of it around his chest and neck.

"Hanging streamers, just like you asked," he said.

"Honestly you two, you're better at participating in parties than setting them up," Grace said, exasperated.

"Hey we've started many parties before," Fred protested. "All you have to do is bring drinks to a crowded place, turn up the music and let them go wild."

"Then we go wild," George added. He pulled a folded tablecloth off a shelf and draped it around his waist. As if following along to a loud beat, he swung his hips back and forth. His arms went over his head, waving crazily, until they got stuck in the streamers overhead.

Fred roared with laughter and Grace let out a tiny giggle.

"C'mon party boy, let's get you unwrapped," Grace suggested. "Miranda won't be too long and it would help if you weren't the only decoration."

George pouted but allowed Grace to untangle the streamers from around his body. With one wave of her wand, she repositioned them on the ceiling.

"First things first then, we need a cake," Fred declared. "Gonna have to ask the house elves for that. Chocolate layer cake with that mousse icing right?"

"Yeah, in her favourite colour," Grace told him.

"Right," Fred said and started to walk off. "What is that again?"

"Purple, you idiot," Grace scolded with a roll of her eyes. "And don't forget the party food!"

Fred waved her off.

"You sure purple isn't just _your_ favourite colour?" George questioned Grace.

"It is," Grace said. "But it's mine as well."

"Sure it is," George nodded. "When is Miranda getting here, by the way?"

"Lara and Ciara are bringing the guests in a few minutes then Hannah and Trina will bring her down."

"So we all hide in the dark and scare the balls out of her?" George grinned. "Wicked!"

"You're kind of twisted, you know that?" Grace commented.

"Right so while you two were sitting there having a nice little chat I talked to the house elves and got us some food," Fred announced as he sauntered his way back to them.

"Shhh, we're technically not supposed to be here," a whisper from just outside the door could be heard.

"That must be Lara," Grace guessed.

A second later, once the pear had giggled and transformed into a doorknob, the door swung open to confirm her guess. Lara and Ciara stood in front of a crowd of Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. There were at least one hundred of them.

"Wow you guys did a pretty good job with the decorations!" Ciara awed as people poured into the kitchen around them.

"Once I untangled George from the streamers," Grace joked.

"Miranda, Trina and Hannah will be down in five minutes," Lara informed them. "She's getting really suspicious and is still complaining that we didn't let her go to dinner. I think she's still a bit upset about breaking up with Louis."

"I guess anyone would be upset about that," Grace reasoned. "After all they'd been together for over four months."

"If Miranda broke up with him, then why is he still here?" Ciara interjected, staring a bunch of Ravenclaws huddled by the fire that included Nate and Louis.

"I never invited him," Grace said, narrowing her eyes.

"Neither did I," Lara said.

"Relax ladies, George and I told him to come," Fred interrupted. "We've got a little surprise lined up for him."

Lara, Ciara and Grace groaned.

"Sir! Your food is ready, sir!" a house elf squeaked. Behind him, mingled in with the party guests, were a crowd of house elves, all bearing silver platters of sausage rolls, party pies, cakes, cookies and fairy bread and wearing tea-towels stamped with the Hogwarts crest. Five house elves in front bore a magnificent layered cake with thick purple icing dotted with tiny white sugar roses.

"Wow that's really amazing," Grace complimented. "Thank you!"

"Would miss like us to put the food on the tables?" the house elf asked.

"Yes, please, Miranda should be here soon."

"Good cause I can't wait to get this party started," Lee said, jumping off the counter that the boys were currently sitting on.

"Calm down, Lee, you have all night for fun," Ciara laughed.

A cheeky grin crossed Lee's face before a yell was heard in the corridor.

"Miranda!" Trina yelled. "We are going to the kitchens right?"

"Nah I thought we'd walk down here after having no dinner and just look at the bowl of fruit," came Miranda's sarcastic reply.

"Everyone hide!" Fred and George shouted.

With a wave of her wand, Lara extinguished the torches hanging around. They were cast into a flickering darkness from the large fire at one end.

Miranda, Hannah and Trina opened the door.

"SURPRISE!" Over a hundred people screamed. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

As soon as Miranda had stepped through the door, fireworks had exploded with ear-popping bangs and confetti burst from boxes on either side, coating Miranda head to toe in tiny pieces of colourful paper. Above the birthday wishes and bangs, Miranda's scream could be heard. It was as priceless as the shocked, wide-eyed, mouth-open look on her face as the scene in front of her came to light.

"Oh my god, really?"

"All by yours truly," Fred boasted. George and Grace glared mockingly at him.

"Thank you so, so much! You guys are so sweet!" she gushed, squeezing them all into tight hugs.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

"This party is amazing!" Miranda panted, collapsing into her special birthday girl chair. "I'm glad someone put on some actual good music!"

"We've got one more surprise for you," George winked at her. "Wait for it."

"Wait for wha-," Miranda started. An impressively loud explosion cut her off in the direction of the Ravenclaws. Three balloons above them had burst open, covering Louis, Nate and a few others in thick, slimy mud.

Roars of laughter echoed around the kitchens. Grace, Trina and Ciara choked on their chuckles, pounding the table. Miranda was the worst though. Her face had gone red, her breaths came in wheezes, both hands were clutched to her side and she made strange hiccupping gasps in alternating intervals.

"Happy birthday, Miranda," Fred wished.

"That's our present to you," George said.

"Oh my Merlin, I love this song!" Grace exclaimed. An American Muggle singer, Taylor Swift had just started singing on the portable Wizarding Wireless Net. "Let's dance!"

She grabbed onto Miranda's hand, who in turn clutched Fred and George's shirts. All four of them ran, the boys somewhat reluctantly, onto the space cleared for dancing.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

"What time is it, Lala?" Trina asked Lara, cuddling into Oliver's chest.

"One thirty AM," Lara responded after checking her watch. She and Hannah were busy building a castle out of Exploding Snap cards, careful to keep their faces out of the way.

"Is there anybody else still here?" Grace wondered. A single glance around the room showed her only dying embers in the fire.

"Snap!" Jesse said, slamming his hand down on the pile of Muggle cards.

"One big gulp then," Miranda told him, handing over the extra-large bottle of Butterbeer they had found.

"It's been a really good n-n-night," Ciara yawned, leaning into Lee's shoulder. "Now I just want to go sleep."

"My leg's already gone to sleep," Lee grumbled. "Mind shifting a bit, love?"

"Check the Map, will you Fred?" George requested. "Right now I don't really feel like running into Filch."

For the next few minutes all that could be heard was the sound of Grace and George fighting over the bottle of Butterbeer, Miranda and Jesse egging them on, a puff of smoke as Hannah and Lara's castle exploded and whispers coming from the two couples.

"Shit," Fred cursed. "Snape's coming. Now."

In a frantic scramble for their lives, they all gathered up Miranda's present and bottles of Butterbeer that weren't empty.

"Quick, quick, in the pantry," George directed.

Absolute darkness fell as soon as Lee snapped the door shut behind them. They all waited with baited breath, their skin brushing against each other, hardly daring to breathe.

"Why is it we can never just have a night of fun at Hogwarts without being interrupted by teachers or some sort of danger?" Miranda whispered.

"There's still Halloween," Grace said. "I'm sure nothing will happen then."

Even as she said it, Grace had a feeling that she was wrong.

**Well there you are! I hope it was worth the wait. We are on holidays now so after Christmas I will be able to get many more chapters up. **

**Please review with any questions or comments!**


	8. Now the fun's over

**Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! Happy everything I may have missed! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I only own the OCs and my plot. **

Chapter 8- Now the fun's over

They had hidden in that pantry for another 15 minutes, ignoring Lee's loud whispers into Ciara's ear while Snape made himself a cup of cocoa.

"Man, this is weird," Fred muttered.

"Snape, the cuddly cocoa-drinker," George announced ominously.

The girls around him struggled to stifle their giggles.

"Shhh," Lara warned. "You'll get us caught."

That was when Grace sneezed.

Somehow, Grace swore it was a personal vendetta but Ciara said the pantry was bigger than it seemed, only Grace, Trina and the twins received detention. Grace stated at one point that it was almost fair since they were the ones who had organised the party in the first place. The others disagreed.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

In addition to the detentions Grace now had to serve, she ended up working twice as much at the hospital wing due to the amount of colds.

"Madam Pompfrey, I finished cleaning the beds and all the curtains. Is there anything else you would like me to do?"

"Yes, dear, just hand these out to everybody on those beds," Madam Pompfrey said, pouring a steaming black liquid into crystal glasses. "If students keep pouring in like this I'll have to make another batch."

With a small smile, Grace gathered the glasses onto a tray and carried them over to the crowd of students clustered on beds and chairs near the door. Many of them were pale and red-nosed with scarves draped around their throats, desperate for some relief.

Some looked like they had been escorted up here by an older sibling, in the case of Ginny Weasley.

"I'm glad you brought her up here, Percy," Grace remarked. "You have been losing colour lately, Ginny."

"I'm fine, really," she insisted. "I've just been a little stressed."

"Better to be safe than sorry," Grace said, taking no note of Percy's pompous nod and passing Ginny the Pepperup potion. "You know, if it's the work that's stressing you, you could always study with me and my friends."

"I really couldn't-," Ginny started.

"It's no fuss, trust me," Grace assured her. "We helped Harry and his friends study last year as well."

"That would be wonderful," Percy declared. "Thank you so much for your help. I'm glad to tell mother that Ginny is feeling better."

Others had been dragged up by concerned Quidditch captains or boyfriends.

"Honestly, Ollie, I'm not sick," Trina protested in a thick voice.

"Say 'fine'," he retorted.

Trina scowled but accepted the glass of potion from Grace.

"You should be grateful, Trina," Grace told her, handing a coughing Hannah a glass as well. "Your boyfriend cares enough to take you to the hospital wing."

"I know," Trina cooed. "He's the sweetest guy ever."

"I couldn't let my best chaser and my best girl get sick," Oliver explained. "Now rest. Training starts at 5."

"It's raining," Grace pointed out.

"It could be raining at the gamr. We need to be prepared to all conditins so we can flatten Slytherin," he argued.

Grace rolled her eyes.

"There's no point arguing with him," Trina sighed.

"it's hiss fault you're getting sick," Grace muttered as she navigated her way through patients with steaming heads.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

The night of the 31st of October crept up on the occupants of Hogwarts, filling them all with excitement. Throngs of students made their way down to the Great Hall for the feast after a day of charming pumpkins and studying the origin of the holiday in History of Magic. Grace, Ciara, Miranda, Lee, Fred and George walked down the marble staircase together, chatting about their day.

"I'm so glad it's Halloween already," Grace said. "Finally we have a night where we don't have to concentrate on mountains of homework."

"Well it would help if someone didn't light a salamander on fire," Ciara said, glaring at Fred and George.

"We were doing an experiment for Care of Magical Creatures," Fred informed them.

"Was the experiment testing whether your brother or the salamander would explode first?" Grace asked.

"No, but if it was Percy would've won," George told her.

"Did you see his face?" Fred asked. "I thought he had taken some Pepperup potion then realised it was just him."

Grace laughed along with Miranda and Ciara, glancing away from Fred to spot Harry, Ron and Hermione break away from the stream to head towards the dungeons.

"Harry!" she shouted over mingled conversations. "Where are you going?"

"Nearly Headless Nick's Deathday party," he told her when she had made her way closer. Ron made a face at the prospect but was quickly scolded by Hermione. "I promised him I would go."

"Oh well I'm sure you'll have lots of fun," Grace mocked, a huge smile plastered on her face. "I'll steal some pumpkin cakes for you later if it'll make it better."

Harry and Ron's faces brightened at the thought.

"Thanks Grace," Harry said. "I'll see you later then."

Grace gave Harry a slight wave of her hand and made her way over to where her friends had stopped, waiting for her.

"What was that about?" Miranda asked. They re-joined the crowd, now swarming through the doors of the Great hall.

"They're going to a Deathday party," Grace said. "I'm not even sure-,"

Grace broke off at the sight of the Great Hall. Live bats flew around the ceiling which was flashing with fake lightning. Hagrid's pumpkins piled in the corners, large enough all of Grace's friends to squish into. The golden plates were already glittering with food, specially made for the occasion. Every different sort of pumpkin dish you could think of plus boiling black puddings, roast pork on spits and beef pastries shaped to look like bones.

"They've really outdone themselves this year," Ciara awed.

"Damn now I'm really hungry," Lee complained.

The three girls exchanged looks. It only took another second before they dived into the food themselves.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

"Did you honestly just dance with a skeleton, Grace?" Trina questioned.

"Yeah," she shrugged. "It looked like fun and it got everyone laughing."

"You do realise they were laughing at you right?" Ciara asked.

"Yes," Grace confirmed. "But it's not like it matters. It's not embarrassing if you don't care about what people are saying."

They turned a corner on their way up to Gryffindor tower to find it blocked with people. Nobody was moving but whispers echoed around.

"Mrs Norris- Filch's cat just hanging there, dead-like-," one Hufflepuff second year told her friends.

"Did you see the writing on the wall?" another said, his eyes wide with fear.

"Do you reckon Potter's got anything to do with it?" a sixth year Slytherin speculated.

Grace's head swung to look at burly boy.

"Potter?" she snapped. "What do you mean Potter?"

"See for yourself," he smirked, moving out of her way.

Grace shoved through the rest of the crowd, frantically trying to find her brother. He was just going to a Deathday party; there was nothing she had to worry about. Right? Even as she slid into the gaps of people, Grace knew that of course there was something to worry about.

"Grace, have you seen it?" Miranda asked. Her face was pale and hands slightly shaking.

"No," Grace said slowly, turning her head towards the clearing into front of them. On the wall, written in a thick, red liquid was _The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir, beware._ Hanging on a torch by her fluffy tail was Mrs Norris. Her eyes were wide open and not an inch on her body was moving. In the centre of the circle were Ron, Harry and Hermione, currently being screeched at by Filch.

"It's not that I liked the cat or anything," Miranda muttered. "But this looks like it wants to attack more than just the caretaker's wife."

"What's Harry doing here then?" Grace said.

"I dunno; all three of them were there when I got through the crowd."

"And, apart from the obvious, why is Filch yelling at them?"

"Well Malfoy over there drew attention to them with some crap comment about Muggleborns then Filch came running in, he looked like his eyes were going to pop out too and accused those three of killing his wife. That's when you arrived. If they actually did kill Mrs Norris I wanna applaud them cause the world's better off without her skulking around. I'm just saying!"

Miranda threw up her hands at Grace's fierce glower.

"Argus!" reprimanded the strong voice of Albus Dumbledore who swept into the clearing from just behind Grace and Miranda. "They did not kill Mrs Norris."

Filch opened his mouth to argue but Dumbledore simply held up a hand and he closed it again.

"Everyone return to your dormitories immediately," Dumbledore addressed to the students on either side of the clearing. He turned his attention to Harry, Ron and Hermione. "Except for you three."

In an instant, students created a flowing movement towards whichever dormitory they were headed for. Grace stood in front of the wave, staring intently at her younger brother.

"C'mon Gracie," Miranda urged, tugging on her arm. "We should go."

"But . . . he's my brother," Grace objected.

"Fred and George don't come running up here for Ron," Miranda reasoned. "Just talk to Harry when he comes back from wherever Dumbledore takes him."

"Fine," Grace accepted, allowing Miranda to drag her all the way up to Gryffindor Tower until they were into front of the Common Room fire. "I'll wait here for him."

Miranda rolled her eyes but still turned around to climb up the dormitory stairs.

"Don't wake me up when go to bed."

The corner of Grace's mouth lifted ever so slightly. She sank into the armchair right in front of the fire, her eyes trained on the portrait hole.

**There you go! Thanks for reading! It was supposed to be longer but I liked ending it right there. There shall be a Grace/Harry confrontation scene next chapter. **

**Please review with any comments, questions or advice!**


	9. Watching from Afar

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, only the OCs and some plot. **

Chapter Nine- Watching from Afar 

Grace sat in that armchair for at least another hour. She kept her eyes open, staring at the fire, mentally preparing herself for what she was going to say to her brother. The rest of the Gryffindors had already gone to bed, most of them scared out of their wits at what they had seen. Just a few minutes after the stroke of midnight reverberated around the castle, the portrait hole opened up.

"Hi Harry," Grace greeted.

All three of them jumped at her voice, having thought that nobody else would be in the common room this late. Ron looked warily over at Harry, seeing Grace crossed arms and furrowed brows.

"We're just going to go to bed," Hermione said hurriedly, dragging Ron along with her.

"Harry, are you alright?" Grace questioned. "What happened? Did you get hurt?"

"I'm fine, really," Harry told her. HE explained how they had just left the Deathday party when Harry heard the voice again. It had led them all the way up to where they had found the writing on the wall and Mrs Norris. After that Dumbledore had taken them to Professor Lockhart's office where he explained that Mrs Norris wasn't dead but petrified.

"Did you tell Professor Dumbledore about the voice?" Grace asked when he had finished.

"No, do you think I should have?"

"Look he could have some great advice and explain what's going on but . . . you don't really know what it could be," Grace said then sighed and ran a hand through her messy hair. "Normally I would tell you that it's nothing so worry about but I really think it is. A voice telling you it's going to tear and kill straight before the caretaker's cat gets attacked? I'm _really _worried. But I still don't think you should have told Dumbledore, especially since Snape and Lockhart were there."

"Yeah, Ron and Hermione said the same. In a less older- sisterly way. Do you think it's real?"

"I don't even know what the Chamber of Secrets is," Grace shook her head.

"And you're still worried?" Harry ventured a guess.

"Yes, of course I am. I'm gonna keep on worrying about you and making sure you don't get hurt. So do you think you could keep out of trouble?"

"I always keep out of trouble, Grace."

For some strange reason, Grace didn't believe him. She just didn't want for Harry to get into some big mess like last year.

"Riiiiiiight. Well, after that comforting chat, I'm going to bed," Grace turned away from the dying fire and headed up the girl's staircase. "But I am going to watch you carefully."

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

Over the next few days Grace kept to her promise. She studied in the library at the same time as Harry, sat near him at the Gryffindor table and attended the Gryffindor Quidditch training sessions. She always kept a watchful eye on him but never got so close as to seem like she was stalking him.

In other ways Hogwarts was still getting used to the idea of what had happened on Saturday night. Some even thought it was a Halloween prank and that Mrs Norris was going to come skulking around the corner, ready to catch someone out of bed. But no one was out of bed; they were all too scared of what might happen. Even Fred and George restricted their antics to the common room at night. It was hard enough for them to try anything away from the tower with Filch lurking around the corridors; punishing students for 'being too happy' and 'destroying the sombre mood.'

No matter what Filch did, he couldn't stop the whispers circulating the corridors. People wanted to know what the Chamber of Secrets was, what had happened to Mrs Norris really, whether there was a real threat. The only thing Grace couldn't stand was when people started speculating whether Harry was involved. Everyone had seen him there. They all wanted to know why.

On top of all that their workload was steadily increasing. Professor McGonagall lectured them constantly about the importance of OWLs and how this year leading up to it could determine how well they were prepared for the next. All of their teachers followed suit; the worst being Professor Snape who didn't mention the OWLs but piled them with difficult essays and research topics.

That was how Grace and her friends ended up in the library Wednesday afternoon, hidden by towers of books.

"Where is he?" Grace asked, craning her neck around a massive copy of _Intermediate Transfiguration: Everything thing you would need to know before delving deeper._ "Hermione and Ron are here so where's Harry?"

"He's probably just a bit later than them," Miranda reasoned. "You don't have to watch him every single second of the day."

"Yeah, I know," Grace said. "I'm just afraid something will happen to him the second I turn away."

"Yesterday you were telling us that Harry has nothing to do with what happened to Mrs Norris and now you're worried about every little thing he does," Ciara commented.

"I'm not-," Grace argued.

"Is there something you're not telling us?" Ciara cut across.

Grace looked between the expectant faces of all of her friends. Some part of her wanted to tell them about the voice that Harry had heard. She just wanted to confide in someone about the niggling feel at the back of her mind that _something _was going to happen.

"No, Harry wasn't involved and that's it. Oh look there he is; nothing happened."

"Love, just remember that we are here if you want to talk," Trina reminded her.

"I found it!" Lara exclaimed, having turned a page of the thick book she was searching through. "The story of the Chamber of Secrets."

"Is that what you were scanning the pages for?" Miranda asked.

"Yeah, well, I'm lucky I even have a copy of _Hogwarts: a History_. I must have left mine at home and I borrowed this one a week ago for some homework. All of the other copies have been borrowed out," Lara explained.

"So what is the story?" Grace said.

"Well, it's a bit hard to read but here goes," Lara began. "So we all know that Hogwarts was founded by four greatest witches and wizards of their age: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin. They built the castle so Muggles couldn't find it and worked really well together for a couple of years. Then, of course, Slytherin became a pure blood idiot and didn't want Muggleborns to come to Hogwarts. He and Gryffindor had a huge argument about it, which is probably where all the rivalry comes from, and Slytherin left. That's where the facts get a bit unclear but basically rumours say that Slytherin hid a monster in secret chamber he built in the castle. Only he or his heir can open it and once they have the monster will kill all unworthy students in the school. Muggleborns, basically."

Miranda snorted. "Yeah, there's just some monster wandering around the castle that nobody has ever found."

"Maybe only Slytherin could open it," Hannah suggested with a shrug of her shoulders.

"At least we know what the message means now," Grace said, returning to her transfiguration essay.

Five pairs of eyes once again stared intently at Grace.

"No we don't," Trina contradicted. "We know what the legend is; how does that make any difference whatsoever?"

"It makes all the difference in the world!" Grace told them with wide eyes. "This means that either somebody is copying the legend for kicks, or the Chamber is real and that monster _is _really in the castle."

Grace's eyes, filled with determination, flicked around the group to see Miranda roll her eyes unconvincingly, Lara stare down at her homework uneasily, Hannah frown in concern, Ciara's face light up at the thought of adventure and Trina chewing her sugar quill thoughtfully.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

That night, Grace chose a table at the common room close to Harry, Ron and Hermione. She had taken her friend's words to heart and relaxed a little more but she still felt bad letting him out of her sight for too long.

"How much more of that essay do you have to do, Ginny?" Grace questioned the girl sitting next to her.

"I've finished it now," she replied. "Thank you for your help."

"It's alright. I'm glad to be here. Besides Potions essays are always the hardest."

Ginny shook her head at Grace.

"I don't understand how you can do them so easily."

"My dorm-mates say that too," Grace laughed. "For some reason I just get it. Maybe it's in my genes."

Grace shrugged her shoulders dramatically, making a funny face at Ginny, who laughed at the antics.

"I think I should go to bed," she said, once the giggles had subsided.

"No, no, no, please stay," Grace moaned, grabbing her arm. "Just a couple more minutes. I can finish my homework later but for now let's talk."

Ginny reluctantly dropped her homework back on to the table.

"Are you looking forward to the Quidditch match this weekend?" Grace said.

"Yeah, I just hope Gryffindor will win."

"We deserve it. It would do good for the Slytherins to have their faces wiped in the mud," Grace said viciously. Ginny let out a small giggle.

"Fred and George will make sure of that, won't they?" Ginny asked.

"Course they will," Grace nodded. "They are the best beaters in the world. Just don't tell them that or we'll be hearing it for weeks!"

"It was worse growing up with them," Ginny commented.

"Speak of the devils," Grace muttered in Ginny's ear, gesturing to where Fred and George made their way over.

"Well, if it isn't our favourite girls!" George announced. "What are you two lovely ladies giggling about?"

"Hang on, I thought Miranda was our favourite girl," Fred interrupted.

"They're all our favourite girls, Freddie," George corrected. "How could they not be when we have friends as gorgeous as Gracie here?"

"You calling me gorgeous then?" Grace smirked, raising her eyebrows.

"You and every one of dorm-mates," Fred said.

"Of course, Ginny here is lovely just by being related to us," George added, winking at his sister.

"As much as I love all the compliments being thrown my way, is there any particular reason you came over here?" Grace inquired.

"Now that you mention it Percy is writing a letter to mum and wanted to know whether Ginny had anything to add," Fred said.

"I've got something in my room," Ginny told them, gathering up her books and racing away.

"We'll leave you to your work then," George said to Grace.

"Just make sure we can copy it before class," Fred added.

Grace scowled at their retreating backs, continuing to do so until Ginny's vacant seat was taken by Lara.

"Hey, how's the essay going?" she greeted.

"Barely started," Grace responded, making a face at the long roll of blank parchment in front of her. "I've been helping Ginny all night."

"Aw, that was nice of you," Lara commented. "I'm halfway through mine; we can finish it together. Grace? What are you staring at?"

On the table next to them, Hermione, Ron and Harry were leaning their heads closer to each other and murmuring in low voices. Grace, deaf to Lara's calls, frowned at the trio, wondering what it was that had got them to act like that.

"Grace!" Lara clicked her fingers in front of Grace's face.

"Oh sorry, cutie pie," Grace apologized. "What do you think they're talking about?"

"Uh . . . second year homework?" Lara guessed.

"Oh never mind, let's start this essay then."

**Please review with any comments, questions or advice. Thanks for reading!**


	10. The Game

**I have absolutely no excuse for this being late. I could say that I have a distracting family. I could also say that Quidditch scenes are incredibly difficult to write, which they are. But are you likely to believe any of that? I'm sorry.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only Grace and her insane OC friends. **

Chapter Ten- The Game

Even with the worries that continued to hound her, Grace couldn't help getting caught up in the frenzy of Quidditch hype. It was hard not to when your dorm-mates were the captain's girlfriend and his best chasers.

That was how Grace ended up at the Gryffindor training session instead of dinner on Thursday night.

Of course, she and Trina had brought with them a picnic basket filled with fried chicken, hot potato chips and chocolate cakes, straight from the kitchens. Half of the basket was set aside for the ever-hungry members of the Quidditch team.

"Aaaaaand there goes, Ciara!" Lee commentated, watching Ciara speed across the pitch. "She's looking extra sexy on her broom, damn girl, you really are beautiful. Just wait til tonight, baby girl."

"Lee!" Grace scolded. "Can you not give us details?"

"I don't think Ciara would appreciate you giving that speech to the entire school on Saturday either," Miranda informed him.

"Oh give him a break," Trina said. "We can't help it if Ciara and Oliver look _incredibly _good on their brooms."

Miranda and Grace exchanged glances.

"Well excuse us but there aren't any single guys up there for us to perve at," Miranda said.

"Fred and George are single," Lee pointed out.

"But that's like . . ." Miranda struggled to find the right words.

"Perving on Jesse," Grace supplied, nudging the boy next to her.

"I take offense to that!" Jesse exclaimed, looking up from his sketchbook.

"Don't worry, sweetie, I mean it in the nicest possible way," Grace assured him.

"Never mind that," Trina shushed. "Let's just forget about people perving about other people and enjoy the nice picnic and wonderful whether while we're up here."

"I can work with that," Miranda shrugged, grabbing another piece of chicken.

"I thought Lara was going to meet us here," Grace wondered, pulling out a handful of chips for herself.

"She had to study with Julie," Trina informed her.

"Julie, Julie," Grace pondered. "Is she the cute, little Ravenclaw from our Defense class?"

"Yeah that's the one," Trina confirmed.

A few more minutes passed with the sounds of more chewing and cheers for the players in the sky.

"So what are the odds for the game on Saturday?" Grace asked Lee.

"It's going to be a tough match," he replied. "The Slytherins have the better brooms by a high standard but its obvious Gryffindor's the better team."

"Well they do have the best Seeker in the world," Grace grinned.

"And an amazing Keeper," Trina added.

Lee opened his mouth to say more but Miranda cut across him, "Yeah, we get it, Gryffindor has a really good team and we love them all. We already know they're going to win."

Surprised stares were cast at Miranda. She shrugged her shoulders casually, making them all laugh at her hidden yet steadfast confidence in the team.

"C'mon they're finishing up," Jesse said, gathering up his bag and beginning the climb down the bleachers.

All of them made their way down to where the team was landing gently on the ground. Fred, George and Ciara automatically headed straight for Miranda, Grace and Trina while the rest of the team trudged off to the showers.

"Gracie!" George called out as they made their way closer. "Did you save some food for us?"

"Please tell me you do," Ciara pleaded. "I'm starving!"

"A whole picnic basket full," Grace informed them. "Feel free to indulge."

"You girls are life-savers," Fred praised them. His hair was slicked back with sweat and stuck there from the wind. He moved towards Miranda with his arms wide for a hug but before he could get one arm around her she cringed away.

"Ew, you're too sweaty for hugs," Miranda said, wrinkling her nose.

Fred shrugged her off and reached for the picnic basket eagerly. Grace and Miranda stood there, watching as he and his twin swiftly demolished most of the dinner that had been left for them. Both of them were so disgusted at their friends' eating behaviours that they didn't notice Hannah returning from the showers, her wavy hair dripping with water and face clear of any trace of mud.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow. I'm going to meet Lara in the library," she waved.

"No, stay!" Ciara protested. "We can go one night without doing homework, right?"

"Yeah!" was the general reply. The loudest cheers coming from Fred and George.

"Well alright then," Hannah decided hesitantly. "I guess I could stay out here while my hair dries."

"Speaking of which, we need to go have our showers," Ciara said, having pushed Fred and George out of the way to get some food for herself.

"Good cuz those two stink," Grace remarked.

Fred, George and Ciara trooped off to the showers, munching down on chicken and chips on their way, leaving the other six alone. The peaceful silence was broken by Trina's surprised squeal. A freshly showered Oliver had grabbed her from behind and swung her in a circle until she landed, still in his arms, to face him closely.

"Young love," Grace cooed. The faked pout on Miranda's lips changed into mischievous grin, distracting Grace from Trina and Oliver.

"You're hair's messed up," Miranda laughed, flicking Grace's red tresses into her face. In retaliation Grace reached out and swiped her hand though Miranda's head.

"Oops," she giggled. "Now yours is too."

Grace ducked out of Miranda's reach, unable to stop her laughter. She ran away from her best friend, hair billowing behind her head, flicking and flying into her face when she looked back to smile at Miranda. It took her completely by surprise when Jesse crept up and flipped her hair into her face. Her scream echoed around the pitch, startling the two embracing couples right near them.

"Hey! We were having a moment," Lee complained. Ciara simply raised her eyebrows at them.

"Now the moment's ruined," Miranda shrugged.

"Yeah, thanks for that, love," Trina frowned at Grace.

"It wasn't me!" she protested. "Jesse scared me! And Miranda messed up my hair!"

"Sure, sure," Trina answered.

Grace looked between her friends, mouth gaping wide in astonishment. Each of them stared at her, smirking. Then their eyes moved past her, locking on something behind her. Laughter was visible in their eyes, no matter how hard they tried to hide it.

Slightly scared, Grace spun around on the spot, a crease appearing on her brow until it was hit dead on by a bursting water balloon.

"Look what we found in the change rooms," Fred said, pointing at a crate overflowing with water balloons. "No idea what they're for but they're definitely fun to throw at people."

"Those were meant for practise-" Oliver began. He was cut off by a water balloon to his head, lobbed by George.

"I am soo getting you back for this," Grace growled. Though she tried to look threatening it didn't work when water was dripping down her nose and chin.

"Try me," Fred challenged.

That was how a full blown water balloon fight started. One badly aimed throw by Grace hit Miranda in her stomach, causing her to throw one of her own. Nobody was hitting who they meant to and everybody was trying to get revenge on whoever hit them.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

Meanwhile, Harry had no idea what was going on outside the change rooms. He was stuffing his Quidditch robes into a bag and shaking the water out of his hair, ready to meet Ron and Hermione up in the library. Even without access to the Restricted Section, Hermione was trying to read up everything she could on the Polyjuice Potion.

Harry shouldered his bag and opened the door to the change rooms. He stopped short in his tracks at the sight before him.

Colourful scraps of balloons littered the soaking wet ground. Shouts and yells came from his team members. Each and every one of them dripped water, whether from their hair or patches on their clothes. Fred Weasley had gathered up an armful of balloons and was hurling them at anyone who came close. Oliver Wood had his girlfriend in the air, swinging her around so Hannah and Ciara could get a better shot.

Harry had every intention of sneaking out of there. There was no way that he was going to get involved. Ron and Hermione were expecting him at the library soon.

He changed his mind the second his sister tossed a balloon in his direction.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

One hour later, they had run out of water balloons and had given up on refilling them by magic. Their breath came out in pants. There wasn't a single dry person on the pitch.

"Okay, okay," Hannah gasped. "I'm going to go up to bed now."

"I don't think we helped getting your hair dry," Ciara told her, hands on her knees.

The picnic basket was picked up, the rubbish was cleared away with a wave of Oliver's wand and the all plodded up to the castle.

"That was fun," Grace breathed, flinging an arm across Harry's shoulders. "We really need something to get our minds away from that Chamber of Secrets nonsense."

Harry's grin was all Grace needed to forget everything that had happened in the past week.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

All through her Friday classes, Grace couldn't concentrate one bit. Her mind was set on the game tomorrow. At one point Professor Burbage asked her what she thought of the Muggle system of economics and she answered that they needed to catch the Snitch quickly. The whole class laughed but the Quidditch players thanked her for her enthusiasm later.

At the end of the day Grace and her non- Quidditch playing friends sat down in their dormitory, surrounded by cardboard and paint, making posters for the game. They ranged from the simple 'Go Gryffindor' to 'what's green, ugly and about to lose? Slytherin!'.

The posters took them three hours to perfect but by nine' o'clock they packed away all of their art supplies and got ready for bed. They couldn't have Ciara and Hannah tired on the pitch the next day.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

Bright and early on Saturday morning, Grace was woken up by Hannah shakily getting dressed. Ciara emerged from the bathroom a few seconds later, worried that she had left her Quidditch gloves at home. She saw sense after Miranda reminded her that she had been wearing them to training for two months.

Once they were all dressed and ready to go, they headed down to the Great Hall where Ciara and Hannah left to sit with the Gryffindor team, all of whom looked like they were about to fight in a war. They poked their food around for a bit, many of them had to be encouraged to eat by their sister, girlfriend or best friend, until eleven 'o'clock came around.

Oliver led his team down to the pitch with the rest of the school. The weather outside was muggy, threatening to rain at any moment.

Grace, Trina, Lara, Lee, Jesse and Miranda stood by the change rooms to wish the team good luck.

"Okay Harry you'll be fine," Grace assured her little brother. "Ignore Oliver's pressure and just fly. Remember you're not the youngest Seeker in a century for nothing."

"Hey Lee," Ciara called, just as they were making their way to the bleachers. "Can I get a kiss for good luck?"

Grace rolled her eyes at her friend, continuing her way up the stairs.

"Speaking of which, have you and Oliver actually kissed yet?" she asked Trina.

"No, not yet, we're waiting for the right moment," Trina answered.

"Just grab him like this," Miranda indicated, grabbing Jesse shoulders. "And plant a big snog on his lips."

"That's not very sweet or romantic," Trina frowned.

"We could always kiss him for you," Grace suggested then laughed at the look on Trina's face. "Okay, bad idea, never mind."

They took their seats next to Professor McGonagall and the magical megaphone. Lee came running up the stairs and slid into place into front of the megaphone, just in time for Slytherin and Gryffindor to walk out onto the pitch.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, to the first game of the Hogwarts Quidditch season," Lee announced, his voice magnified to echo all around the pitch. "Led by Flint we have Slytherin," a small portion of the crowd yelled raucously. "and versing them, captained by the incredible amazing Oliver Wood, I give you Gryffindor!"

Over half of the crowd stood up, pounding their feet and cheered for their favourite team. Even Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were Gryffindor's side; neither of them wanted to see Slytherin win. To Lee's right, Professor McGonagall gave Lee a stern look for his obvious use of favouritism.

Down on the pitch, Flint and Wood crushed each other's hands under the direction of Madam Hooch. Upon her whistle, they mounted their brooms and kicked off into the air, speeding up at the sound of the roaring crowd.

"And they're off!" Lee commentated. "Ciara Archer grabs the Quaffle, straight up the pitch she goes, closer to the Slytherin hoop, no way Keeper Bletchley can get to it in time, go babe go, and she- Bletchley stops the Quaffle!"

Rumbles of discontent came from the Gryffindor supporters while the Slytherins shouted at their Keeper happily.

"Quaffle is tossed to Slytherin Chaser Pucey- who drops it- nice hit, Weasley, think that's George- Hannah Guptan takes the Quaffle- blocked by Slytherin Beaters Rockwood and Minos- Quaffle tossed to Alicia Spinnet- oh that was close- Quaffle intercepted by Pucey- can't even see him anymore- Slytherin score!"

Grace groaned.

In similar way the next three goals were scored.

"Archer in possession- getting closer- c'mon Ciara- you can do this- watch out for that Bludger!- narrow miss. Ciara Archer drops the Quaffle- back in Slytherin possession."

"Where the hell are Fred and George?" Grace hissed to Miranda, scanning the sky.

"There!" Miranda located the twins.

Both of them were hovering a few feet away from Harry, their bats held up ready and eyes on alert. Grace gasped as the other Bludger zoomed towards Harry. She exhaled in relief as George smacked it away from Harry, only to see it make a sharp turn straight back in his direction.

"Did you see that?" Grace questioned Miranda. A shocked nod was all she needed to confirm her fears. "Trina, look at Harry! I swear that Bludger is following him!"

"Don't be silly," Trina said, looking up briefly in time to see the Bludger make another turn back to Harry. "That's not normal is it?"

Grace and Miranda shook their heads. Trina and Miranda both swivelled in their seats to tell Jesse and Lara what was happening. Droplets of rain started to patter down on their heads.

"Sixty- ten to Slytherin," Lee grudgingly told the school.

"Something has happened to that Bludger," Lara said. "I don't know how though because it's been locked up since Gryffindor's last training, right? Nobody but Madam Hooch and the captains have had access to it after that."

"I'll bet it was Flint," Grace accused. "He'd do anything for Slytherin to win."

"I don't think so, Grace," Lara shook her head, rain flicking off the tips of her hair. "Bludger's are pretty powerful. Flint doesn't have enough sense in his head to cast magic like that."

"Gryffindor Beater Weasley calls for time out," Lee said, bringing the girls and Jesse's attention back to the game.

"Thank Merlin for that boy," Grace whispered, eyeing George on his way to the ground.

After an angry-looking discussion between Oliver and his Beaters and a visit from Hermione, Madam Hooch blew her whistle for them to get back in the air. Grace realized with a shock that Fred and George were flying in the opposite direction to Harry.

"Damn you Harry and your stubbornness," Grace cursed.

The game commenced again, fierce as ever, helped immensely by Fred and George's determination to finish the game quickly. The Bludger continued to follow Harry around the pitch. He zigzagged, dodged, rolled, dived, and dropped, spiralled, looped and swirled.

"He would look kinda of funny if the situation wasn't so serious," Miranda muttered. Grace whacked her arm and sincerely wished she could do the same to every other laughing Slytherin.

"After that short break we return to the game. Spinnet has the Quaffle- Guptan- Spinnet- Archer- Pucey once again- Wood you can do better than that- it's just a fancy broom. Instead of trying to score Pucey is just staring at Wood. Ouch- that looked painful- Gryffindor Seeker Harry Potter has just been hit a Bludger- his arm looks broken- Potter is flying after something, whether it's the Snitch or Malfoy's face I'm not sure- he dives- close to the ground now- that was one hell of a landing, Potter. Is that-? Harry Potter has caught the Snitch! Gryffindor win!"

Grace let go of Miranda's arm, screaming, to reveal nail marks embedded into her skin.

"Thanks for that," Miranda said sarcastically.

Grace wasn't even listening. She was already halfway down the stairs, Trina right on her heels; they tumbled their way to the pitch where the rest of the Quidditch players were landing.

The team was quickly surrounding Harry in a circle. A teacher in startling blue robes rushed from the staff's seats. Grace skidded down on her knees at Harry's side. He had fainted.

"We won," Oliver croaked behind her. "You really are my lucky charm, Trina."

When Grace looked up to thank Fred and George for watching over Harry once again, she was met with the sight of Oliver wrapping Trina up in his muddy air and pulling her closer to him. He lowered his face to hers and sealed their lips with a kiss. Rain continued to pour around them, soaking everyone including the still embracing couple. The two of them ignored the crowds pressing in on them. Finally, after what seemed like hours, they broke apart.

"Wow," Trina breathed.

A wolf-whistle came from a dreadlocked head nearby. Grace laughed at the pair of them, turning her head back to look at Harry. He was just starting to wake up.

**Did you like how that turned out? **


	11. A Strange Night in the Hospital

**You know school starts up again in about a week and I've only got about four chapters up these holidays. That's horrible! Please forgive me.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, only Grace Potter and her friends. All recognizable dialogue comes from **_**Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: The Rogue Bludger. **_

Chapter Eleven- A Strange Night in the Hospital

Grace leaned over her brother as he woke, her long hair falling into his face. On his other side Professor Lockhart kneeled gingerly in the mud, conscious of the stains spreading over his sky blue robes.

"Oh no, not you," Harry moaned as soon as his eyes opened up to Lockhart's wide grin.

"Doesn't know what he's saying," Lockhart said loudly to the crowd.

"C'mon Harry, I'll take you to the hospital wing," Grace told him, pulling Harry's good arm over her shoulder. "Madam Pompfrey will help your broken arm."

"Nonsense, nonsense," Lockhart waved the suggestion off. "I can fix your arm."

Grace paused in the action of lifting Harry to his feet, frowning at the Professor.

"No!" Harry argued. "I'll keep it like this; thanks . . . I don't want a photo of this Colin."

Grace stared around, bewildered for a second, until she saw Colin Creevey snapping away with his camera. A deep sigh came from within her throat at the thought of all of those pictures he would be printing off.

"Sit him back down, Ms Potter," Lockhart continued as if Harry had made no protest at all. "It's a simple charm, really; I've use it countless times."

"Sir, I don't think that's a good idea," Grace shook her head, looking in the crowd around her for some kind of support. "He would be best in the hospital wing."

"He would really, Professor," spoke up Oliver, mud plastered to his widely grinning face. Trina was still wrapped up in his arms; both of them currently unfazed by the fact that Harry was hurt. "Great capture, Harry, really spectacular, your best yet, I'd say."

"Really Oliver?" Grace questioned. "Your Seeker is on the ground with a broken arm and all you can do is congratulate him on a great catch?"

"To be fair, it's only a broken arm; it'll heal pretty quickly, especially with Madam Pompfrey's help," Trina reasoned. "Or _that_ could happen."

Grace turned her head back around to see Professor Lockhart twirling his wand and pointing it at Harry's arm. The skin seemed to bubble and pop for a second from something moving beneath it. All of a sudden Harry's hand went completely slack. His bones no longer held up his fingers.

There were no longer any bones there.

"Professor," Grace gasped. "What did you do?"

"Ah," said Lockhart. "Yes. Well, that can sometimes happen. But the point is the bones are no longer broken. That's the thing to bear in mind. So, Harry just toddle up to the Hospital Wing, Miss Potter you can escort him, and Madam Pompfrey will be able to - er- tidy you up a bit."

Once again, Grace slung Harry's good arm around her shoulder and this time succeeded in lifting him to his feet. She kept one arm firmly around his back as they made their way up to the castle, trailed by Ron and Hermione.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

"You should have taken him to me!" Madam Pompfrey raged, going through her medicine cabinet for the right bottle. "You of all people would know that you shouldn't have waited to take him up here; let alone allow a mediocre teacher with little to none experience in medicine to help him. I can mend bones in a second but growing them back-"

"I know- it's a hell of a lot more painful," Grace sighed. "I had barely turned my back for a second and Lockhart swooped in to _save the day_."

"Yes well; he's going to have to spend the night," Madam Pompfrey said.

Grace and Madam Pompfrey walked together back to Harry's bed where Ron was currently helping him into his pyjamas.

"Here," Grace said, taking the Skele-Gro from Madam Pompfrey and pouring out a beaker measurement. "It won't be pleasant but at least you'll be better in the morning."

"He wouldn't have to be better at all if the teachers in this school knew how to properly administer first aid," Madam Pompfrey muttered under her breath. "With all of the dangerous sports that the students play they need proper training."

Grace smiled at her mentor's quiet rant, turning back to Harry. He swallowed down the potion in one gulp, coughing and spluttering as soon as it was down. Grace grabbed a glass of water from his bedside table to help ease it down his throat.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Like I've had someone rip my bones out then set my throat on fire," he groaned.

"You can blame Lockhart for that," Grace grimaced. "He shouldn't have tried to do anything in the first place."

"He was just trying to help," Hermione defended. "Anyone can make a mistake."

"Hermione you have to admit that after everything he's done, that's a pretty big mistake," Grace said. "Then again, it's not his fault you broke your arm in the first place."

"I want to know how Malfoy fixed that Bludger," Hermione said darkly.

"He would have needed outside help for something like that," Grace frowned.

"Add that to the list of things we'll ask him," Harry said.

"Yeah, like he'd tell you anything," Grace snorted. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ron and Hermione exchange glances. "Unless you're planning to make him?"

'No I just meant if I got the chance to ask him-" Harry was cut off by the doors bursting open.

The rest of the muddy, wet Quidditch team had decided to join them, along with a couple of Grace's friends. Instead of taking the time to clean themselves up after the game they had gone down to the kitchens for cakes, sweets and bottles of pumpkin juice.

"Unbelievable flying, Harry," George said. "I've just seen Marcus Flint yelling at Malfoy. Something about having the Snitch on top of his head and not noticing. Malfoy didn't look too happy."

They had only just started passing around the food and enthusiastically talking about their favourite parts of the game when Madam Pompfrey stormed over, shouting at them.

"This boy needs rest; he's got thirty three bones to regrow! Out! OUT!"

Grace continued to sit and watch as her friends reluctantly gathered up the food, told Harry to get well and trudged their way out. Madam Pompfrey paused on her way back to her office to turn and talk to Grace in a softer tone.

"Grace I do not mind if you come back and stay the night but you must head down and eat _something_."

Grace stared at Harry's face as he struggled to get comfortable on his pillow.

"Yes, Ma'am."

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

"I still don't understand how Lockhart could do that," Trina vented. "He just grabbed Harry and removed his bones."

"We already agreed we didn't like him and then he goes and does _that_?" Lara exclaimed.

"I think there's something up with him," Ciara reckoned, waving the sausage at the end of her fork at all of them.

After Madam Pompfrey had shooed them away from the hospital wing Fred and George thought that they should move their party up to the common room later night. Currently Grace was sitting at the Gryffindor table listening to her friends complain about Professor Lockhart while eating lunch.

"Oh c'mon!" Grace said. "Just because he's a rubbish teacher and not all that great at medical magic doesn't mean there's some big secret behind it."

"I know what the secret is," Miranda whispered. Trina, Hannah, Ciara, Lara and Grace leaned closer to Miranda curiously. "He actually doesn't have a brain."

"Haha," Ciara said dryly. "I'm not kidding though. I don't know why; I have this bad feeling about him. Aren't you mad at him Gracie?"

Grace sighed in exasperation.

"Yes, I'm extremely mad at him, it was a stupid thing to do and now Harry has to suffer because his big head wanted to show off his _amazing _skills."

"We believe you," Lara assured Ciara. "Just don't go making a big fuss over it in case it's nothing."

"We'll watch him and check it out if something happens again," Trina promised.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

Later that night Grace crept away from the loud music and crazy dancing in the common room to make her way to the hospital wing. Madam Pompfrey looked up and smiled when she entered but otherwise made no indication she noticed Grace walking in.

"Grace!" Harry smiled as she pulled a chair up next to his bed. "I thought I wasn't allowed visitors."

"I clean the beds here; I don't count as a visitor."

"How's the party going?"

"Last time I checked Fred and George had tied the Gryffindor banner around Oliver and were serenading him the school song from a table."

Harry laughed. "I wish I was there."

"Don't worry, Colin got plenty of photos."

"Did he get any shots of the game?"

Grace grimaced. "Well there are some awesome action shots from up in the air . . . and there's maybe a few of you on the ground . . . losing your bones."

"He tried to get me to sign a photo with Lockhart once."

"Oh yeah," Grace nodded. "That's where I pity you being the famous one."

"It's annoying. Apparently I'm his idol. How am I supposed to get someone who idolizes me to get away from me?"

Grace's eyes lit up. "You know what this means?" she asked. "You've got yourself a fanboy! Introduce Colin to Ginny and they can make a club."

Harry groaned, collapsing back onto his pillow. "You're not the first person who's suggested that."

The hospital wing rang with the sounds of Grace's laughter.

"Grace, make sure you don't keep him up too late!" Madam Pompfrey called from her office.

"Oh yeah sorry about that," Grace apologized to Harry. "It probably is better if you get some rest. I'll be right here when you wake up."

Grace pulled a pillow off the next bed to curl up in her chair with. She rested her head against the arm of her chair, watching as Harry succumbed to the day's exhaustion.

Just as his fluttered closed Grace heard him say, "Thanks for coming, Gracie."

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

Hours later Grace was woken up by a loud crack on Harry's bed. She sat up in an instant to see Harry clutching desperately at thin air.

"Harry, what the hell are you doing?" she hissed.

He put a silent finger to his lips, nodding his head to the entrance of the hospital wing. Footsteps could be heard coming steadily closer until Professor Dumbledore appeared through the door carrying one end of what appeared to be a statue. Professor McGonagall came through a second later, holding up the other end of the statue. Lifting it together they managed to move the statue onto a vacant bed.

"Get Madam Pompfrey," Grace heard Professor Dumbledore whisper. She leaned into the pillow behind her head and slumped her shoulders, just enough to hide her face but still be able to see what was going on. Beside her Harry lay as still as the statue on the bed. In Madam Pompfrey's office, Professor McGonagall spoke urgently to her and then she reappeared, followed closely by Madam Pompfrey, draped hurriedly in her cardigan. Grace heard Madam Pompfrey suck in her breath as she saw what lay on the bed.

"What happened?" she whispered to Dumbledore, examining the statue closer.

"Another attack," said Dumbledore. "Minerva found him on the stairs."

"There was a bunch of grapes next to him," said Professor McGonagall. "We think he was trying to sneak up here to visit Potter."

Grace's heart stopped for a second. Would it be Ron? Fred or George? Even Oliver could have snuck back up to congratulate his Seeker once again.

She shifted herself on the pillow to get a better view of the statue. There, in the moonlight, his hands still clutching his beloved camera, froze Colin Creevey. Grace could just see his eyes, wide with fear. Her stomach felt heavy with guilt; only last night she and Harry were laughing at Colin's admiration.

"Petrified?" Madam Pompfrey asked in hushed tones.

"Yes," Professor McGonagall confirmed. "But I shudder to think . . . If Albus hadn't been on his way downstairs for hot chocolate, who knows what might have . . . "

For the next few moments Grace couldn't hear anything. Finally Dumbledore leaned down and prised the camera from Colin's tight grip.

"You don't think he managed to get a picture of his attacker?" said Professor McGonagall, the hope clear in her voice.

Dumbledore didn't reply; he clicked open the back of the camera.

"Good gracious!" Madam Pompfrey said.

Steam had burst forth from the camera along with a horrid smell of burnt plastic. Grace inhaled a mouthful, causing her to cough into her hands. Madam Pompfrey spared her a stern glance before turning her attention back to the camera.

"Melted," she commented. "all melted."

"What does this _mean_, Albus?" Professor McGonagall questioned.

"It means," Professor Dumbledore said. "that the Chamber of Secrets is indeed open again."

Madam Pompfrey clasped a hand over her mouth in shock. Professor McGonagall stared at Professor Dumbledore.

"But Albus . . . surely . . . who?"

"The question is not _who_," said Professor Dumbledore, his eyes resting on Colin. "The question is _how . . . _"

Grace locked eyes with Harry in his bed. The shock and worry she felt inside reflected in his eyes. Both of them silently asking the question, _what the hell is going on?_

**Thank you for reading! Please review with any comments, suggestions or questions. **


	12. Bad News and Bad Teachers

**Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I'm not really proud of this chapter but I hope you enjoy it anyway. I'm so sorry. Also school just started so my updating may become even slower. **

**Disclaimer: Recongnisable cotent comes from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: The Duelling Club. I don't own anything but Grace and her friends. **

Chapter Twelve- Bad News and Bad Teachers

Grace didn't get much sleep after that. Her mind was running at a million miles per hour, considering all the different scenarios if the Chamber of Secrets was open. Every time her eyes started to weigh down she saw Harry, cards and presents piled on his bedside, in a hospital wing bed. It just made the possibility of him getting hurt seem all the more real.

As the first rays of light poured through the open window next to Harry's bed, Grace decided that there was no point trying to sleep anymore. She stretched her arms and legs, working out the tough cricks in her neck. Figuring that Madam Pompfrey wouldn't be up for another half hour at least Grace wrapped a cardigan around her shoulders and moved silently towards the door. Someone had to get breakfast for the patients, in this case, Harry.

Fifteen minutes later Grace returned from the kitchens, arms laden with a specially made pot of hot porridge. On her way past Grace couldn't help peering through the curtains of Colin's bed. Movement could be heard in Madam Pompfrey's office but it wasn't like she would stay in there for too long.

Moving the curtains aside, Grace surveyed the boy in the bed. He looked just as he had last night but his expression of fear was even more shocking in the daylight. Colin's camera sat beside him, almost as if it was a loved teddy bear keeping him company.

At the sound of footsteps Grace moved away from Colin's hidden bed, walking back towards Harry's bed.

"Good morning, Ms Potter," Madam Pompfrey greeted surprisingly cheery after last night.

"Good morning, ma'am," Grace smiled. "I brought up a fresh batch of porridge from the kitchens if you want any."

"Thank you Grace, dear, you really are a sweetie," Madam Pompfrey said. "I take it you slept well for the first half of your night?"

"What are you talking about?" Grace questioned, a look of fake innocence plastered on her face. "I slept well the entire night. Just like a baby."

"Hmmm," Madam Pompfrey didn't look like she was buying a word coming from Grace's mouth. "In that case I won't have to remind you not to spread what you saw around the school, no matter how inevitable it is that everyone will be terrified by lunch."

Grace grimaced slightly, marvelling at how well the nurse knew her.

"Grace?" came Harry's voice from the bed. He reached over to put his glasses on and sat up in bed.

"Good morning, Harry!" Grace smiled. "How does your arm feel?"

"Better. I think I can move my fingers now."

"I'll be the judge of that," Madam Pompfrey swooped in to begin testing his fingers and arm.

"Do you want some porridge Harry?" Grace asked. Harry nodded.

Grace filled two bowls with steaming hot porridge. By the time she had covered them in the right amount of sugar and honey Madam Pompfrey had finished her tests.

"All in order. When you have finished eating you may leave."

"Here," Grace passed over one bowl, keeping the other for herself. "So how much of last night did you see?"

"Enough," Harry grimaced. "Right after Dobby arrived to warn me again. He was the one who stopped the barrier at Platform Nine and Three Quarters and charmed the Bludger."

"Remind me again how he's trying to keep you safe?" Grace questioned. "Besides when was he even here?"

In between clumsily feeding himself spoonfuls of porridge Harry told her about his little visit from Dobby. It finally made sense who he was trying to strangle.

"I can't believe I slept through that," Grace shook her head. "He's not exactly helping though. Knowing you it just makes you want to solve the Chamber of Secrets mystery more."

"Whatever the monster is wants to kill Muggle-borns. You expect me to just let it do that?"

"No! I just don't want you to get hurt, or petrified. Speaking of which, you didn't happen to hear anything else last night?"

"Nothing."

"We don't actually know for sure that the voice is related to the attacks."

"Grace, it wanted to tear and kill."

"Yeah," Grace sighed. "Nobody's been killed yet so I'm just holding onto that hope."

"Me too."

"I should go," Grace said. "I want to tell my friends what happened before word somehow gets around. Then after that, I've got an essay to write."

"Have fun," Harry almost laughed. "I should talk to Ron and Hermione."

"See you later," Grace waved as she walked out of the hospital wing.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

Grace found her friends lounging on cushions in an abandoned classroom, surrounded by books, after grabbing her bag from her dormitory.

"Good morning, my lovelies."

"Hey Grace, how's Harry?" Lara asked, looking up from her transfiguration book.

"Oh he's fine. It's Colin Creevey you should be worried about."

"Who?" Trina frowned, pausing in the middle of her essay.

"The latest victim of the attacks," Grace answered, pulling her own homework out. At the quizzical looks from all of her friends she explained what had happened last night, starting with what she had heard about Dobby to Dumbledore's ominous announcement.

"Oh wow," Ciara said, her eyes wide. "Now that Dumbledore has said it the Chamber must really be open."

"Am I the only one who's absolutely terrified by this?" Hannah asked.

"We all are," Miranda said. "Even a house elf says it's bad so it's gotta be _really _bad. As selfish as it is, I feel a whole lot safer being Pureblood."

Ciara, Hannah, Grace and Miranda turned to stare at Lara and Trina, fear etched upon their faces.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

Even though Grace didn't tell another soul, word somehow got out about Colin. Rumours swam around the school, ranging from what Colin was doing there to the monster hiding in Colin right now. As it was people were scared. Nobody but the most courageous seventh years moved around the corridors alone.

Grace and her friends were scared out of their wits, and took it very serious, but it didn't help when Fred and George walked around like it was some joke. The outcome was worst for Ginny, who was Colin's Charms partner, when they started to play jokes on her. They would take turns covering themselves in fur or boils and jump out from behind statues. Percy went red with rage, threatening them with detention and letters to their mother. In the end the only thing that stopped the twins was Grace, Ciara and Trina getting mad at them.

Some students sought to take advantage of the current state of the student body, running undercover sales of 'protective' devices. There were amulets, talismans, potions and charms. Grace and Lara caught Trina trying to buy a purple necklace that gave off noxious fumes.

"None of this stuff actually works. You're a lying scumbag whose greedy for people's gold and should stop before I tell Professor McGonagall," Lara exploded at the sixth year who was demonstrating the necklace. After the annoyed boy ran away, Lara turned to Trina. "All they want is your money which they're going to get soon because you're so scared!"

"That necklace would just make you smell bad, Trina," Grace pointed out. "Besides don't you think Oliver would protect you?"

"Him and the rest of us," Lara added. "We'd never let anyone hurt you. I promise."

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

Later in the week, Professor McGonagall came round to collect the names of those staying at Hogwarts over the Christmas break.

"My mum and dad are going to visit family for Christmas so George and I are staying," Miranda explained while they walked out of the Great Hall. "They gave me a choice but I really prefer to stay here. The food's better anyway."

"I'm staying as well," Hannah added. "My parents are coming to Hogsmeade with my sister so Nick and I will just meet them there."

"It's my first Christmas staying at Hogwarts," Ciara said. "What's it like anyway?"

"Oh gosh, amazing," Grace gushed. "The house elves out do themselves with dinner and lunch and they put this giant tree in the dormitory that fills up with presents overnight and nobody else is usually there so you can do whatever you want, like the grounds are practically empty so you can have huge snowball fights without running into somebody else. Just don't throw one at Fred or George cuz they're expert snowball fighters."

"Sounds pretty good."

"What's that crowd looking at?" Lara asked, pointing to the noticeboard.

Delicately manoeuvring her way out of the crowd, Trina came towards them, tugging Oliver along behind them.

"They're starting a duelling club!" Trina informed them excitedly. "The first meeting is tonight."

"We should go!" Grace said, smiling around at her friends. "It'll be fun!"

"Do we have to?" Miranda groaned. "What's the point?"

'Well there's a dangerous attacker on the loose; it might be a good idea to be able to defend ourselves," Lara pointed out. "Does it say who the teacher is?"

"Nah, just that they're an accomplished dueller," Trina said.

"Probably Flitwick then," Ciara shrugged.

"Let's hope so," Grace said as they started their climb back to the common room.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

That night Grace, Ciara and Miranda walked down to the Great Hall together. They weren't sure what to expect but certainly not the crowd packed in front of a golden stage that had appeared along one wall. Everyone's excited faces were lit by thousands of candles that floated before the black ceiling.

"It looks more like a concert than a duelling club," Miranda muttered.

"Well I guess we'll just have to see who the starring act is," Grace smirked.

"You make it sound like-," Ciara started but paused when someone moved onto the stage behind Grace and Miranda. "Him."

Sweeping onto the stage was none other than Gilderoy Lockhart, struggling to be magnificent in plum purple, closely followed by an unenthusiastic Snape. He waved an arm to get everyone's attention.

"Gather round, gather round. Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent!"

"Not really!" Grace whispered. Her excitement had diminished immediately at the sight of Lockhart and Snape.

"Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little Duelling Club, to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions-for full details, see my published works."

"Are we sure you actually did those things though?" Ciara frowned up at Lockhart. Luckily her comment was unheard by the famous teacher.

"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," said Lockhart, flashing a wide smile. "He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about duelling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry-you'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, never fear!"

"Yeah, I don't really think that makes us worried," Grace said.

"We'd be more worried if you _didn't_ finish each other off," Miranda added.

Snape's upper lip started to curl. Grace almost laughed at Lockhart's confidence in going against the Potions master.

They turned to face each other and bowed. At least they did what they were known for; Lockhart being over-the-top and Snape being sullen. Once Lockhart was finished they raised their wands to point at each other.

"As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position," Lockhart told the silent crowd. "On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course."

"Damn," Miranda clicked her fingers.

"One-two-three."

Both of them swung their wands up, over their heads. Snape shouted, "Expelliarmus!" A bright flash of scarlet came from the end of his wand, shooting straight at Lockhart. He was blasted off the stage to land heavily against the wall and sprawl on the floor.

Ciara, Miranda and Grace stood for a second, absolutely speechless. The delight slowly came over their faces until they were cheering along with the Slytherins.

Lockhart stumbled to his feet. From Grace's experience she could tell he had a concussion.

"Well, there you have it!" he said, tottering back onto the platform. "That was a Disarming Charm-as you see, I've lost my wand-ah, thank you, Miss Brown-yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind my saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy-however, I felt it would be instructive to let them see... "

"You know I bet that he wouldn't have been able to stop Snape at all," Ciara wondered aloud. "Maybe it's just me but if I was going up against Snape-of all people- I would try to defend myself. Now either Lockhart was too cowardly to defend himself or he couldn't. I don't like either option."

"Oh no, they're putting as into pairs," Miranda groaned. "It's going to be like our first Defence lesson all over again."

"Ahh but this time we have Snape here so it will be all the more terrible," Grace said.

"Should we leave?" Ciara asked hesitantly. "I mean, it's not like we're going to learn anything."

"We could always ask Lara and Hannah what happened afterwards," Grace suggested half-heartedly.

"Quickly before Snape comes over here," Miranda said, pushing Grace slightly in the arm.

Ducking between the nervous students, the trio swiftly made their way out of the Great Hall, somehow managing to be unseen by Professor Lockhart and Professor Snape. Shouts and yells came from the Hall just as they were racing up the stairs to get away.

"You know, I bet it's chaos in there right now," Grace said once they had stopped running on the third floor.

"I'll be interested to hear how the rest on the meeting went," Ciara said. "I don't see it going well."

"C'mon, Fred and George said they weren't going to go tonight," Miranda said. "We can just sit with them for the rest of the night."

"Better than what was going on back there," Grace commented.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

Not much later that night, Grace, Miranda and Ciara were sitting in front of the fireplace with Fred, George, Jesse and Lee. The boys had been doing nothing when they came back from the Duelling Club and laughed raucously when they heard about Lockhart being disarmed. In the end they had decided to put off the homework they had, encouraged by Fred and George, to play a fierce group game of Exploding Snap.

"Snap!" Grace slammed her hand down the pile, just a second before George's hand slapped the back of hers. "Back off, Weasley, I got there first."

"Make me, Potter," George raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah? You gonna play it that way?"

"Guys guys guys!" Lara barged her way through the stream of people coming in the portrait hole to end up in front of them. "You will never believe what just happened!"

"Try me. I've heard some pretty wild things," Fred stretched his arms above his head.

"Harry just spoke to a snake!" Lara exclaimed.

Grace paused in the middle of fighting over the cards with George. "Come again?"

"You might want to explain it from the start," Trina suggested as she, Oliver and Hannah walked over.

Having captured their attention Lara started her story of how Harry and Malfoy were chosen to demonstrate duelling on stage, Malfoy had broken the rules and conjured a snake, Lockhart failed to step in and Harry had taken action by talking to the snake in another language.

"Well I know that's weird and all but why is it such a big deal?" Grace shrugged. "I mean he's done it before, by accident, so it's just something that he can do."

"Don't you realise?" Lara questioned, at which point Grace shook her head. "Slytherin's symbol was a snake! It's what he was most famous for; being a Parseltongue! The ability is really rare though so it's usually passed down through blood!"

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Grace frowned, not fully comprehending the looks of shock on her friends' faces.

"Harry is Slytherin's heir!" Trina almost shouted.

Ten different pairs of eyes locked on Grace, waiting for her reaction. Grace looked around at all of her friends, shocked at how convinced they were of Harry being Slytherin's heir. She opened her mouth to speak and closed it three times, shaking her head, before she finally managed to find the words.

"That's a load of dragon dung!" Grace spluttered. "Of course it's not true!"

"Ahh but if it was true you would deny it, wouldn't you?" Fred nodded, like he was the wisest man in the world.

"You do know that if Harry is descended from Slytherin, I am too?" Grace questioned.

"I didn't think of that," Trina paused. "How much do you know about your parents?"

"I know they were both _Gryffindors_," Grace said, starting to get annoyed. "Just like Harry and I are. Do you seriously believe this?"

"Of course we don't," Lara spoke up. "But if we weren't us and didn't know you and Harry so well then we would have thought it might be true. I mean, look at the facts; Harry was found next to Mrs Norris and the writing, he almost got detention from Filch the day before, you talk about how much Colin annoys him and he can speak to snakes."

"In case any of you don't remember I was with Harry when Colin was attacked," Grace reminded them. Miranda opened her mouth to say something but Grace cut across. "I didn't petrify Colin! Harry's best friend is a Muggle born; why would he attack them?"

"We know, love, we're sorry," Trina apologized.

"Never fear, Grace, we shall keep your identity a secret," Fred declared, causing Grace to frown at him.

"Now if you'll excuse us, your lovely heiress, we have some business to attend to," George added with a deep bow. Lee and Fred added theirs, complete with sweeping arms, on their way out of the common room.

"I'm heading off to bed now, love, I'll see you in the morning," Oliver lightly kissed Trina goodnight and left the girls by themselves. Instinctively they gathered closer together to continue their conversation in hushed tones.

"Does it really matter if Grace is Slytherin's heir though?" Ciara asked. "It's not like she or Harry are the ones going around attacking people. Personally I think the problem we should be concentrating on is Lockhart."

"I thought we said that we would watch him and only do something if he really worried us," Miranda said.

"Well clearly you all overlooked what he was doing while Harry got attacked by a snake. Nothing!" Ciara explained. "You saw what he was like when Snape disarmed him. I really think that there's something behind all of his so-called success."

'Yes but what are we supposed to do about it?" Lara inquired.

"Confront him!" Ciara suggested loudly.

"Oh yeah that would be a lovely conversation, 'hey, sir, I know you're a terrible teacher and we all hate you but are you a fraud as well?'" Miranda said sarcastically.

"If we approached him with more tact than it might work." Ciara argued.

"No matter how we approach it he still wouldn't tell us anything," Trina said.

"You forget that Grace and I are the most talkative in his class," Miranda added with a smirk.

"Then we get Hannah and Lara to ask!" Ciara cried. "Aren't you the least bit curious?"

"We could always just ask about his books," Hannah proposed.

"Yeah, I don't want to hear that speech," Trina groaned.

"Actually I agree with Ciara," Grace spoke up. Miranda, Lara, Trina and Hannah stared at her. "Confronting him is a good idea _but _we should get proof first. There's got to be some recording of what his done, that's not just in his books."

A quiet pause came upon the group as they considered what Grace had said.

"You know there's usually a recording of creatures like werewolves or vampires like the ones Lockhart dealt with," Hannah enlightened.

"Right! Tomorrow, after transfiguration, in the library!" Ciara announced. "And now I am off to bed."

The other girls watched as Ciara marched her way across the common room and up the stairs.

"Let's hope all this effort isn't for nothing," Lara commented.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

"Reckon Ciara will let us eat before we go research?" Grace whispered to Miranda.

"It was your idea to do the research on him," Miranda replied, doodling on the edge of her transfiguration book. "But I hope so. I'm hungry too."

"How long do we have left anyway?" Grace asked.

"Potter! Heathridge!" Professor McGonagall scolded from the front of the classroom. "Surely you can go another ten minutes without talking to one another? If it happens again while I am trying to speak both of you will stay after class."

"Sorry Professor," Grace and Miranda mumbled together.

Just as McGonagall was about to begin her explanation of their homework once again, she was interrupted by shouting out in the corridor.

"ATTACK! ATTACK! ANOTHER ATTACK! NO MORTAL OR GHOST IS SAFE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! ATTAAAACK!"

Chairs were shoved to the floor and work abandoned as everyone ran for the door. The scramble through only lasted a few minutes then everyone was through into the steadily filling corridor. A boy in Hufflepuff colours lay on the floor, absolutely frozen, next to a steamy black Nearly Headless Nick. None of the teachers were able to control the panicking students as their shouts and screams echoed around the confined space. Finally everyone shut up when McGonagall created a loud bang from her wand. They were ordered back into their classes.

Grace hung back with Miranda, hovering quietly at the door to their classroom to watch what happened.

Another boy in Hufflepuff colours raced forward, his face pale and breath coming in pants. He pointed a finger dramatically at Harry.

"_Caught in the act!_" he yelled.

Outrage at her brother's treatment surged through Grace. She stepped back into the corridor, frowning at the younger boy.

"Excuse me? Maybe you're caught in the act of being a pompous brat."

"That will do," Professor McGonagall said sharply. "Ms Potter, you may return to class, just like the rest of your classmates."

Looking down at the ground Grace turned around at walked back into class. Without McGonagall the rest of her classmates had started to riot. She didn't join in though. Her mind was elsewhere. What was Harry doing outside with the latest victim?

**Thank you for reading! Please review with any comments, questions or suggestions. I shall try to get the next chapter up soon. **


	13. The Confrontation

**I won't even bother apologising :/ **

**By the way if any of you have Instagram, I have a Taylor Swift/ Hunger Games/ Harry Potter account called hermione_taylor_katniss. Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Grace Potter and her friends. And possibly the plot of this chapter but you get what I mean. **

Chapter 13- The Confrontation 

"Are we sure we want to do this?" Hannah asked cautiously. "If we are wrong then we've just created a whole lot of extra drama for nothing."

"It's not gonna be for nothing!" Ciara answered, leading the way to the library. "Trust me. There's something bogus about Professor Lockhart."

"Are none of worried about the double attack?" Trina frowned. "The thing petrified a freaking ghost, for Merlin's sake! Don't you all find that scary?"

"Maybe we should just concentrate on one problem at a time?" Miranda suggested, making a point to ignore Madam Pince on her way past the librarian's desk. "Then we can be as scared as we like."

Trina sighed but didn't say another word. The girls dumped their schoolbags on a hidden table close to the front desk and collapsed wearily into chairs.

"So what are we looking for?" Ciara turned to Hannah and Grace.

"Any records that line up with times Lockhart did something supposedly spectacular in his books," Grace explained. "Start with newspapers or the records of creatures in England. You _might _have to ask Madam Pince for those though."

"I'll go ask," Lara volunteered. Grace hovered behind the bookshelf closest to Madam Pince's desk; only just hearing Lara speaking to the librarian in her most simpering voice possible. "Good afternoon, Madam Pince. I hope I'm not interrupting all the important work you have to do but I was doing an extra credit assignment for Defence Against the Dark Arts and I was wondering if you could possibly help me find more resources."

"Well if it would only take a minute," Madam Pince said, pursing her lips. "After all I am only here to help the dedicated students like you. What can I help you with?"

"It's a bit of a tricky research piece," Lara admitted. "I'm forming a list of dangerous creatures that have been slayed in recent years."

"Grace, do you have your copy of _Holidays with Hags?_" Trina requested, tearing Grace away from Lara.

"Yeah sure," Grace pulled the book out of her bag. "Where are we starting?"

"I thought it would be easiest if we made a list of all of the dates in Lockhart's books and compared them to newspapers at the time," Hannah explained. "If each of us looks through a different book it shouldn't take so long."

"As long as we have to do this, let's get started then," Miranda moaned.

An hour later Lara finally returned from talking to Madam Pince, pages of notes clutched in her hand.

"I can't believe that took so long," she complained.

"What did you find out?" Ciara asked eagerly.

"A whole lot more than I needed to but there were a few interesting points. Chief among them the fact that the method in which Lockhart killed a vampire isn't actually possible," Lara informed them all. "Madam Pince was very insistent on that fact when I asked about it. Also the ministry records the whenever dangerous creatures are defeated, like banshee or ghouls. But, get this; both of the ones that Lockhart supposedly killed were recorded as dead months before he says so in his books."

"The Ministry gave him awards for those though," Grace pointed out. "Wouldn't they have noticed if their own records didn't match up?"

"I thought about that. The Order of Merlin was awarded for all of his achievements altogether," Lara shuffled through the papers she had. "It didn't specifically look at any of the details. Well it would if it was a decent Ministry."

A moment of silence fell over the table as the girls returned to their newspapers with even more puzzles on their mind.

"Have any of you heard of Maureen Spangledart?" Miranda questioned.

A chorus of no's and who's echoed around the table.

"She was a famous banshee hunter. Still should be really," Miranda continued. "The Daily Prophet records her going to visit the town where Lockhart killed a banshee a month later. All mentions of her disappear after that."

"I think I've found something as well," Grace said. "There are never any eyewitness accounts of what Lockhart did. A front page spread sure but never anyone to back up what he did."

"Same thing with Spangledart," Miranda commented. "All of the town talks about her coming but none of them mention Lockhart being there."

"I read the same sort of thing about this Armenian warlock who hunts werewolves," Ciara said. "Recorded going to a town infested with werewolves, Lockhart turns up and gets rid of them, the warlock is never heard from. The villagers remember the werewolves fighting with someone but, yet again, their accounts don't match up with Lockhart's."

"Is his word the only proof we have of him doing these things?" Lara frowned.

"I guess people will believe anything they read," Grace shrugged.

"I don't," Ciara said flatly.

"What exactly are we going to do now?" Trina wondered.

"Exactly what we were planning to do," Ciara smiled. "Confront the talentless douche."

Ciara's smile was shadowed around the table; all of them thinking of how they could finally call out their Defense teacher. Bitter sweet revenge for the months of boring lessons.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

The end of term was rapidly approaching. If the girls wanted to get answers before the Christmas holidays, they had to act fast. On the very last Friday of term, right before Trina and Lara were set to return home, along with most of the panicking student body, the girl's bags were stuffed with research notes and even a letter from Maureen Spangledart. The last piece was Hannah's idea.

"I don't expect any of you to do any homework over your break but where's the work in rereading one of my books for a back-to-term quiz?" Lockhart announced to the class.

His grin faltered slightly at the cries of dismay and horror that he had caused. The final bell rang just in time.

"Have a good holiday everybody!" their teacher called after the fleeing fourth years.

With a sigh, Lockhart collapsed in his desk chair, resting his head in his hands. He didn't even notice the six girls that had moved to stand in front of his desk. When Trina cleared her throat, he jumped up and stared at them in surprise.

"Girls! What can I do for you?"

"We just had a few questions, Professor," Grace clarified. "About your work."

"Of course, of course! I'd be happy to answer any of your questions," Lockhart grinned. "It's always wonderful to see young fans."

"You see, Professor, we're not exactly fans," Ciara said. The grin slowly faded from Lockhart's face. "There were a few inconsistencies we found."

"Such as the fact your books claim you have this amazing magical talent yet you couldn't even defend yourself against Snape in the duelling club," Trina proposed.

"Or properly heal my brother," Grace snarled.

"Well, now, everyone makes mistakes," Lockhart reasoned, slightly flustered. "And . . . you haven't asked a question yet."

"Have you ever heard of a famous banshee hunter by the name of Maureen Spangledart, professor?" Miranda asked. The colour drained from Lockhart's face. "She hadn't heard of you either, lucky for her. When I got a reply from a letter I sent her, it was sent by a nurse at St Mungo's. She doesn't remember anything after she visited Cheshire. At around the same time you visited Cheshire, sir, to get rid of that banshee."

"I d-d-don't know what you're t-t-talking about," Professor Lockhart stuttered.

"What about the werewolves, sir?" Lara piped up. "Is it true you beat out another hunter to get the werewolves out of that village?"

"Yes, yes of course," Professor Lockhart answered, avoiding eye contact with any of them while hastily packing away his work.

"Then how come he doesn't remember it either?" Grace smiled.

"He- he must have terrible memory then. I was right in front of him when I scared that last werewolf away."

"Tell the truth, professor," Lara encouraged quietly.

Professor Lockhart looked up at the six girls. They all stared straight back at him; their faces showing a mixture of disgust, anger and confusion. It only took a few moments for Professor Lockhart to give in and slump back into his chair.

"I have heard of Spangledart. Ugly old women, too. She got rid of the banshee. I just took the credit. There's no way _I _could ever banish a banshee! She had no idea what hit her! Same for that warlock with the bad dress sense."

"How?" Trina said.

"Memory charms, you see, are the one thing I excelled at above all else," Professor Lockhart started to twirl his wand between his fingers. "By the time you get back to your dormitory tonight you girls won't remember any of this."

"Six very capable girls against one pathetic teacher who can't even cast a disarming charm. The odds aren't in your favour," Ciara pointed out.

Lockhart dropped his wand, looking defeated. If she wasn't so disgusted at the man, Grace would have felt sorry for him.

"We're going to have to tell Dumbledore, you know. We have enough proof for him to believe us and you have none."

"You can't! It'll ruin my career!" Lockhart said, aghast.

"What? Like you ruined the careers of countless others?" Lara shouted.

"They had talent!" He shouted back. "You think it was easy faking it for years now? They got famous easily! I had to work hard just to get my books off the shelves!"

"They did work hard! Saving people!" Grace yelled, finally losing her temper. "You were just in it for the fame! Those people studied for years so that they could get back some good in the world unlike you who just made it worse. How did you even become a Ravenclaw with what little brains you have? I don't see why we shouldn't go to Dumbledore right this instant, you lying, filthy bastard!"

Shocked silence rang around the classroom as they took in Grace's outburst.

"There may be another way," Hannah started, attracting everyone's attention. "I'm not saying we don't tell anyone but we should wait. Just until the end of the year. When all of this stuff about the Chamber is over, we tell Dumbledore."

When Grace first thought about it, she thought the plan was ridiculous. Lockhart could run away by then. But as she considered the idea, she recalled how chaotic the school was at the moment. It wouldn't be able to function at all if the Defence teacher went away. No matter how useless he was.

"Six months," Trina told him. "After that you won't be able to lie anymore."

"You better enjoy it while it lasts," Miranda commented.

With that, the girls turned around and walked out of the classroom, talking about what they were looking forward to during the Christmas break, leaving Lockhart alone at his desk, still in shock at what just happened.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

It was only a few hours later that Trina, Lara, Lee, Oliver and Jesse had to leave for the train back home. Grace stood beside George and Fred on the castle steps, pulling her coat tighter around her body. Ciara looked over at her curiously when Lee approached, carrying a small wrapped present.

"Hey Grace, do you mind giving Ciara her Christmas present? I told her I hadn't got her anything so I want it to be a surprise."

"I'll give it to her," Grace agreed. "But you're not being very secretive. She is right there."

"Ah well, I can never keep secrets from her anyway."

"Lee!" Lara called. "The train's leaving in half an hour. We have to go!"

In a matter of seconds hugs and kisses were exchanged between those staying and those leaving before they trooped down the grounds.

"Don't worry; we'll look after her heiress," George said.

"Might even head down to the Chamber for Christmas lunch," Fred said.

Scowling, Grace shoved the both of them off the steps.

"Have a good Christmas," Hannah waved.

"Don't eat too much while you're gone," Miranda added.

"We'll miss you!" Grace screamed after the distancing figures.

"We love you!" Ciara shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Who else feels like hot cocoa in the kitchens?" Grace shivered. Her teeth were chattering in the cold wind when a large ball of snow hit her in the face. "Fred! George!"

"Watch out George, she'll set Slytherin's monster on us," Fred cackled.

"Throw more snow at my face and I'll find a way!" Grace retorted, wiping her face with her sleeve.

"Love, how bout you head up to our dormitory and Fred and I will bring you girls some hot cocoa?" George suggested.

Grace was still slightly suspicious until Fred held up his hands in surrender.

"We promise that there is nothing behind it," he swore.

Shaking their heads and laughing at the twins Grace walked inside and ascended the marble staircase with Ciara, Hannah and Miranda.

"What was Lee talking to you about earlier?" Ciara questioned Grace.

"Oh, he just wanted to say merry Christmas," Grace answered loftily, thinking she was much better at surprises than Lee.

Hannah and Miranda shot Grace curious looks but didn't ask. They were just walking down the Gryffindor corridor when they passed Harry and Ron going the other way.

"Harry! I haven't been able to talk to you in ages. I've barely seen you since you were in the hospital wing. What's been keeping you so busy anyway?"

Ron and Harry exchanged rueful glances.

"Hermione keeps us busy with homework," Harry shrugged.

"Yeah, we should probably be heading off," Ron added. "Hermione's expecting us."

"It's holidays. You've got ages for homework," Grace waved off the suggestion. "Come join us. Fred and George have gone to get hot cocoa."

"Maybe some other time," Harry said. With a small smile, he and Ron rushed off in the other direction, away from a dumbfounded Grace.

"I really am starting to get worried about that boy," Grace commented.

"What's there to worry about?" Miranda said. "He's doing homework."

"That's not what you think he's doing though," Ciara guessed.

Grace pursed her lips but didn't say another word. There was no way in the world that Harry and Ron were doing homework. She just didn't want to worry her friends until she had more proof.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

Grace woke up bright and early on Christmas morning to someone bouncing up and down on her bed. Squinting through the winter sun that was already poking through the windows, Grace made out the shape of Hannah and Ciara standing on her bed.

"Good, you're awake," Ciara stated. "Now it's Miranda's turn."

"Merry Christmas," Hannah smiled.

"You too," Grace returned. "Have you got any presents?"

"Just the ones from you guys, my family are giving me mine later –" the end of Hannah's sentence was cut off by Miranda yelling and throwing cushions at Ciara. Peering past Hannah, Grace saw a small pile of presents at the end of her bed.

"C'mon! Start unwrapping!" Ciara yelled, bounding back to her own bed.

"Here," Grace said as she threw a small box over to Ciara. "That's from Lee."

"But we agreed on no presents!" Ciara gaped. "I didn't get him anything!"

"Just put up with the fact that your boyfriend likes to spoil you," Miranda mumbled, reluctantly putting her glasses on to pull presents into her lap.

"It's so pretty!" Ciara squealed, holding up the intricate locket filled with a picture of her and Lee. "I still feel a bit guilty though."

By the time the girls got out of bed for Christmas breakfast the dormitory floor was covered in wrapping paper, so much so that not one bit of carpet could be seen. Grace couldn't wait to thank the boys for her presents. Harry had given her a box of her favourite fudge. Fred and George had pitched in with Oliver, Lee and Jesse for earrings she had been admiring in a magazine. Even Mrs Weasley had made her a Weasley jumper; purple with a bright red G. She only hoped that everyone liked the presents she had gotten them.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

"I can't believe he still hasn't noticed," Ciara laughed, looking at Percy.

"Oh my Godric, he looks like . . . such an . . . an idiot!" Grace choked out between gasps of laughter.

Earlier that evening Fred had bewitched Percy's Prefect badge to read 'Pinhead'. When he and George pointed it out to Miranda, Ciara and Grace in the middle of pudding they had trouble hiding their laughter.

"Another helping of cake, love?" George offered Grace, his eyes twinkling mischievously. Grace nodded her head but was still trying to control her laughter.

"You alright there, Miranda?" Fred asked, drawing their attention to the girl across from him.

Miranda had dropped her fork on the table and was making strange hiccupping noises. Her face was getting redder by the second.

"Oh no, she's dying!" Fred cried mockingly. "Someone get Madam Pompfrey!"

Miranda threw the leftovers of her cracker at Fred's head.

"By the way, you need to thank your mum for me," Grace mentioned. "I still can't believe she remembers me every Christmas."

"She made me one too," Ciara said. "Your mother really is amazing."

"Why thank you, I personally think it's in the family," Fred bragged. "We're all just that amazing."

"No, I think it's just your mum," Miranda said breathlessly, shaking her head. "You definitely aren't that amazing."

"You just don't want to admit that I am the most amazing person here," Fred retorted.

Ignoring the others around them, Fred and Miranda started bickering for all the world was worth.

"Merry Christmas," George whispered into Grace's ear, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

Grace smiled up at him, content after a long and happy day.

**Naw how cute! Haha please review with any comments, questions or advice! Thank you for reading!**


	14. Overprotective Friends

**Okay okay I know it's been a month. I'm terribly sorry! You can all slap me over the internet! I do have assignments that have been dragging me down so that's why! And I went on a camp. But no more excuses. All of that is over. I shall write more. **

**I only really posted today because it is Fred and George's birthday.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. If I did, then I would probably procrastinate so much that it never got published. Yeah. . . **

Chapter Fourteen: Overprotective friends

It wasn't long after Christmas that everyone started to settle down and feel safe again. There had been no attacks since the double attack on Justin and Nick. The weather seemed to reflect the situation as the snow slowly disappeared and the sun started to shine weakly over the grounds. Calm descended over the school; all of whose occupants thought that the monster had stopped altogether.

The one disadvantage to the peace at Hogwarts was how smug Lockhart acted. It took all of Grace's self-control not to scream his secret out at the breakfast table as she overheard him brag to Professor McGonagall about how the attacks had stopped because of him. Her noticeable scowl was brought to attention by Fred only a few seconds later.

"What's with the face, Grace?" he asked.

"Upset you haven't got a date for Valentine's?" George added.

"How could I be when you two don't have dates either?" Grace smirked.

"That is where you are wrong, Gracie, my dear," Fred said. "There happens to be two lovely Hufflepuffs who I'm sure will accept a candlelit dinner for four in the kitchens."

"Right," Grace nodded, tossing her bag over her shoulder and pushing her leftovers towards the boys. "Good luck with that. You coming, Miranda?"

Once they were out of earshot of the boys, Miranda turned to Grace and asked.

"What were you actually scowling about?"

"Lockhart."

"Oh."

"But being single on Valentine's Day doesn't make me happy either."

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

On February 14th Grace walked into the Great Hall behind Trina and Oliver, desperately trying to ignore their romantic talk but once she got a look at her surroundings she stopped in her tracks.

The walls were covered in soft pink flowers, matching the heart shaped confetti falling from the light blue ceiling. Grace's mouth fell open before splitting into a wide grin. No matter how lonely she had felt moments before she couldn't help but feel giggly at the sight.

Contently floating down the hall, Grace moved to sit next to Miranda. Opposite her Hannah and Lara were batting the confetti away from their food, laughing all the while.

"As lovely as all of this is," Grace started. "How did it happen?"

Miranda simply pointed up to where Lockhart was waving for attention, dressed in the most disgusting pink robes Grace had ever seen. None of the teacher's seemed as happy as he did; Snape even looked like someone had force-fed him poison.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" he shouted. "And may I thank the forty six people who have so far sent me cards! Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you- and it doesn't end here!"

Lockhart clapped his hands and through the doors of the Great hall marched a dozen dwarves all wearing golden wings and carrying harps.

"My friendly card-carrying cupids!" Lockhart beamed. "They will be roving around school today delivering your Valentines! And the fun doesn't stop here! I'm sure my colleagues will want to enter into the spirit of the occasion! Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a love potion! And while you're at it, Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met, the sly old dog!"

Grace felt bad for Professor Flitwick as he buried his head in his hands. The same couldn't be said for Snape who Grace couldn't wait to ask for a lesson on love potions.

"I hope I don't ever have to see those dwarves again," Miranda muttered, sprinkling sugar on top of her porridge. Her eyes pointed to something behind Grace and her eyebrows rose. Grace spun around to see a Hufflepuff boy from the year below them standing nervously in front of her. She recalled his name to be Kurt Samuels.

"Hi Grace," he waved weakly. "I was wondering if maybe you . . . erm . . . wanted to-"

Kurt broke off looking over Grace's shoulder; his eyes widening in slight terror. Grace turned her head but only saw Fred and George hastily shoving sausages in their mouths.

"You know what never mind," Kurt shook his head. "It's not worth it."

Grace watched with wide eyes as Kurt walked away from them.

"What the hell was that about?" she said, looking between Miranda, Hannah and Lara for answers.

"Beats me," Lara shrugged. "The guy looked like he had the hots for you."

"Then why'd he run away?" Grace frowned.

Lara and Miranda shrugged while Hannah mirrored her frown. Grace sighed, still wanting to know what had just happened.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp 

The halls outside of Defence the Dark Arts classroom were ringing with the sound of off-key singing dwarves. Students shoved against each other trying to get away from the horrid creatures. Lockhart was standing in the doorway of his classroom, grinning broadly and keenly unaware of the mayhem his 'cupids' had caused.

Grace and Miranda leaned against a wall in an alcove nearby, watching the stream of students make their way downstairs for Potions. There would be no point leaving until the corridors were empty. At least that was their excuse for not wanting to be early to Potions.

Across the hall from them was a group of Hufflepuffs that they shared DADA with. Two of them, Elliot and James appeared to be arguing over something. What caught Grace's attention however were the obvious glances that were thrown in their direction every couple of seconds.

"Is it just me or are James and Elliot staring at us?" Grace wondered.

"Well nah, Gracie, they think the tapestry behind us is interesting," Miranda smirked. She laughed when Grace turned around to examine the tapestry in question.

Just as Grace turned her head back around, Elliot sauntered over to them. He turned around to laugh at James halfway there.

"Hey Grace, Miranda," he greeted. "My mate, James over there thinks you're pretty nice, Miranda. He wanted to ask you to be his Valentine."

"Why didn't he ask me himself?" Miranda questioned.

"Well . . . you know the rumours, right?"

Grace and Miranda exchanged a confused look.

"What rumours?" Grace asked.

Elliot seemed stunned for a moment; kind of like he was shocked they didn't know then continued in a slightly hushed tone. "This is awkward. Heaps of people are saying that any guy who goes out with you two or any of Fred and George's friends for that matter gets pranked by them. And if it ends badly then the prank will be so humiliating the boy will be the talk of the school for weeks. Some people are even wondering whether they'll end up pranking Lee or Oliver."

"So James is scared of Fred and George?" Miranda said.

"If you weren't friends with them, wouldn't you be?" Elliot reasoned.

Grace acknowledged his point with a nod and a smile though not happy that the twins were that protective of them.

"Yeah but I am friends with them," Miranda pointed out. "Which is why I don't give a crap if they don't like me dating boys. So you go over there and tell James I would love to be his Valentine. Fred and George can deal with that."

Elliot grinned, nodding his head. He turned around to walk back to James but stopped after a few steps.

"Hey Grace, if you don't have a one already, would you like to be _my_ Valentine?"

"I would love to," Grace agreed with a sweet smile.

"Lockhart's throwing a Valentine dinner at 8. Meet you there?"

Grace nodded. Miranda and her watched him break the news to James whose face split into a wide grin. He jumped onto Elliot ecstatically. His eyes wandered over to Miranda and, after noticing that they were watching, looked sheepishly at the ground.

"Looks like we're not alone anymore," Grace smirked, raising her eyebrows at a happy Miranda.

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That night the fourth year girls' dormitory was a flurry of activity. Hannah and Lara sat on their beds, flipping through magazines and occasionally looking up to comment on an outfit or hairdo while the others whirled around the room getting ready for their dates. Lee had decided to take Ciara down to the kitchens with Fred, George and their dates but Oliver had gone with the more romantic option of a starlit picnic on the quidditch pitch.

"Hey Grace, how long have we got to go?" Miranda asked as she carefully used her wand as a straightener.

"Fifteen minutes," Grace replied. "Ciara, when are you going down? I wanted to talk to Fred and George before we left."

"Right now!" Ciara said. "Miranda, Trina, you coming?"

Both of them grumbled at being rush but still grabbed their bags and met them at the door.

"Have fun!" Hannah called.

"Don't be too nice to those boys!" Lara warned.

"Don't be sure about that," Miranda muttered.

"Is my hair alright?" Trina asked. "I think it's falling out a bit."

"Here let me help," Ciara offered.

Grace ignored them both and continued down the stairs; her only concern was confronting Fred and George. Through the whole of science and afternoon studying, her mind couldn't stop thinking about how rude it was for the twins to think they could do something like that. It didn't even occur to her that they might be trying to be protective friends. She let her rage at their interference simmer over the day until she entered the common room and let it boil over the top at the sight of them.

"Fred and George Weasley!" Grace snarled as she reached them. "Is it true that you two prank anybody who goes out with me, Miranda or any of the girls?"

Fred and George shared a worried look.

"Is this a trick question?" George ventured to ask.

"No, it's not. Honestly I can't believe you two would do that. It's not like we go around and tell girls not to date you because we'll do something horrible to them. So why would you _ever _feel the need to do it to us?"

"Because we're not going to get as hurt over a girl!" Fred defended. "You and Miranda were both upset when you broke up with your boyfriends. We just paid them back for it!"

"Do you know how heartless that makes you sound?" Grace questioned. "Of course, you'll get hurt over a girl!"

"Eventually, yes, love," George agreed. "But we don't want to see _you_ get hurt over a guy."

"Or Miranda," Fred added.

"Or Ciara."

"Or Trina."

"Okay okay I get it, you don't want any of us to get hurt by a guy," Grace nodded, slightly exasperated.

"Ahh you get the point," Fred said.

"Just lay off a bit would you?" Grace suggested. "Not that I don't find it sweet or anything but it would be nice if you stopped."

"By the way, boys, I'll have you know that you didn't scare off my date tonight at all," Miranda mentioned, leaning against Grace.

"W-what?" George spluttered. "You have a date?"

"We both do," Grace linked her arm with Miranda. "So have fun tonight. . . if you managed to get those dates."

Grace and Miranda swept their way out of the common room, leaving behind a pair of spluttering twins.

"You do realize that James was scared of Fred and George right?" Grace wondered.

"Yeah but they don't have to know that."

Ten minutes later Grace and Miranda turned up outside the Great Hall to meet James and Elliot. Both of them waited by the stairs in button-down shirts with flowers in their hands. At the sight of the girls their eyes lit up, almost comically.

"Wow, Miranda, you look beautiful," James said in awe. Miranda looked down at her red dress that split into pleats and adjusted the silver bracelets that lined her wrist.

"You don't look so bad yourself, Grace," Elliot commented.

"Thanks?" Grace wasn't entirely sure if that was a compliment or not. Elliot didn't seem sure either so he passed her the rose he had in his hand.

"Sorry, that came out wrong," he apologized. "You really do look good."

"Told you purple looked good on you," Miranda whispered in her ear as they walked over to the Great Hall.

**Thank you for reading! Again I'm sorry! And I know the ending was kind of terrible but I'm in a rush. I will write as soon as possible which I swear will be soon! Please review with any comments, questions or advice!**


	15. From Good to Bad

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter **

**I'm actually quite proud of this chapter and have been looking forward to this point in the story. There's a big shock at the end so I'm sorry for those who don't like it. ;) **

Chapter Fifteen- From Good to Bad

"I had a really great time tonight, Elliot," Grace smiled, walking out of the Great Hall a few hours later with Elliot's arm draped casually over her shoulders. "You know, you're not as bad as you seemed."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Elliot nodded. "You, on the other hand, are as wonderful as you always seemed."

Grace laughed and looked at the ground, making her bright red hair fall in her face.

"I would walk you up to your dormitory but I'm pretty sure Gryffindors aren't allowed to show us their common room."

"Yeah, we're pretty protective," Grace grimaced. "But maybe I'll show you one day."

"I'd like that," Elliot grinned. "Did you happen to see where James and Miranda went?"

"I think they were still in the hall talking."

"Are you sure they're only talking?" Elliot winked. "Well I'll have to be the gentleman now and bid you goodnight, my lady."

In a gentle motion, Elliot brought Grace's hand up to lightly brush against his lips. Grace pulled him closer and placed a small kiss to his cheek before spinning around and skipping her way up the stairs to her dormitory. There she found Lara and Hannah sitting together on Trina's bed, flicking through a Transfiguration book absentmindedly.

"Wow, I'm the first one back," Grace commented.

"Gracie!" Lara cried. "How was it? Was he a good date?"

"He was actually pretty amazing. I was laughing the whole time."

"What about Miranda?" Lara questioned.

"Went fine as far as I know. She and James are still down there. Don't worry though; they're probably just getting another Butterbeer."

"Well I'm glad you all had a good time. Let's just hope the others don't stay out too late."

"So tell us the details, Grace. Was the dinner good? Was he a gentleman?" Hannah urged.

Grace giggled slightly. She dug her pyjamas from under her pillow and shimmied out of her dress.

"Well . . . ," she began with a sly smile.

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Only a month later, Grace was walking down the stairs with Ciara and Trina discussing their plans for the Hogsmeade trip that weekend. She and Elliot had grown closer since Valentine's Day but had trouble getting any alone time with the twins and Lee interrupting them. This weekend she hoped that they would be able to spend more time together, away from the prying eyes of Fred and George, if she managed to sneak out.

"Hmmm do you think the new Felicia May book will be out?" Trina wondered.

"I dunno," Ciara shrugged. "You can just check while we're at Hogsmeade."

"Actually, you can't," Lara interrupted, turning up in front of them with Hannah. "They cancelled the Hogsmeade trip."

"What? Why?" Ciara asked in disbelief.

"There's a notice by the Great Hall. The teachers are still scared that another attack is going to occur and don't want students further away from protection," Hannah explained.

"I can't believe it, I just can't believe it," Grace shook her head.

"Can't believe what?" Miranda asked from behind them. Gripping her hand loosely from behind her was James who she had been seeing for the past month.

"They cancelled the Hogsmeade trip!" Grace exclaimed. "I won't even be able to sneak out now!"

"Well there goes our weekend plans," Miranda remarked to James.

"It's so stupid! We're perfectly safe in the castle, seeing as there hasn't been an attack for months, and they won't even let us out," Trina added.

"I'm going to find Lee and the twins," Ciara said. "Now they won't be able to get their usual prank supplies."

"I wonder if Ollie knows," Trina pondered. "He'll probably just make an extra training session instead."

Ciara groaned loudly as she and Trina walked into the hall.

"I guess my alone time with Elliot is gone," Grace sighed, following Ciara and Trina into the hall with Hannah, Lara, Miranda and James. "Fred and George will just surround us wherever we go."

"They are just trying to be nice though," Hannah reasoned.

"I think it's rude personally," Lara began before she was cut off by someone bumping roughly into her shoulder, making her stumble back a few steps.

"I'd say sorry but it's just Mudblood filth," Callidus sneered. John, Helena and Mara snickered behind him.

"Excuse me?" Lara asked, astounded at their nerve. Grace and Miranda stepped forward, not sure whether they would be holding Lara back or throwing punches of their own.

"You heard him," Helena said, speaking in the most condescending tone possible. "I'm quite upset that the attacks have stopped. I was glad they were getting rid of Mudbloods like you."

"Don't you dare!" Grace and Miranda said, their voices nearing on snarls.

"No . . . no," Lara stopped them. "There's really no point wasting time going after someone who will only get uglier with every word she says. In the end we really are better than her."

Helena moved closer to Lara, pulling out her wand and flicking her short blonde hair out of her face. "I could send you to the hospital wing with one curse."

"Hate to say it but you really can't," Lara shrugged. "And if you shoot the first spell, even if _I _send _you _to the hospital wing, then I can claim self-defence and not get in any trouble. There are plenty of witnesses around to prove my case."

Helena threw furtive looks around her at the ever increasing crowd. With a whip of her hair, she stalked her way out of the Entrance Hall, followed by a scowling Callidus, unsure Mara and uncomfortable John. Grace noted that surprisingly, though Mara and Callidus seemed to egg Helena on, John stayed in the back and almost seemed uncomfortable.

"Now I know not to get on Lara's bad side," Miranda muttered.

"What?" Lara said. "They were asking for it!"

Hannah and Grace laughed at her response and Miranda's taken aback expression.

Hphphphphphphphphphphphphphp

The school year petered along quietly. The attacks were barely spoken of anymore unless whispered gossip was started to scare the younger years. Grace, Miranda, Ciara and Trina continued happily in their relationships; annoying Lara and Hannah occasionally with their loved-up talk. Fred and George still grumbled about it but became more comfortable having James and Elliot around.

During the Easter holidays, Trina took advantage of the time she had with Oliver before he took his Quidditch training plan into action. She, along with every Quidditch player present, groaned when Oliver mentioned having training sessions every night.

"At least the weather will be getting better for it," Grace tried to cheer Fred, George and Ciara up one evening. "You won't be as wet anymore."

"Oliver doesn't care about the weather," Ciara complained. "Rain, hail or shine we play so rain, hail or shine we train."

"At least we know this year we'll win," Fred said.

"Oliver seems to think so anyway," George added.

"I reckon you can do it," Grace said. "Everybody's been training really hard and wants to win."

"With Oliver as captain we have no choice but to train hard," Ciara pointed out, letting her head fall onto the back of the couch.

"Yeah . . . ," Grace was about to say another encouraging remark when she saw out of the corner of her eye Percy giving Harry one of his extremely boring lectures and decided to go over there and rescue him.

"Look at my father," Percy rambled on. "He has to deal with Muggle business all the time. My brother Charlie was always more of an outdoor type, so he went for Care of Magical Creatures."

"Oh you're choosing your third year subjects?" Grace asked; peering over Harry's shoulder at the list of subjects she had struggled to choose between herself.

"Well, anyway, Harry," Percy said; looking a little bit miffed at being interrupted. "Play to your strengths."

Grace stood and watched Percy stalk his way up to his dormitory for a second before she sat down next to Harry and Ron.

"What are you trying to choose between?"

"All of them," Harry told her. "What do you take?"

"Muggle Studies and Care of Magical Creatures. I have no idea why I choose Muggle Studies seeing as we live with them every summer. My advice is for both you to pick the same ones. Then at least you can suffer together if it's a boring subject."

"So Percy's advice was really pointless then?" Ron said. A look of disgust appeared on his face at the thought of his older brother.

"Unless you already have a keen interest in Magical Creatures then yeah kinda," Grace frowned. "They don't have a Quidditch or Being Heroes subject so I guess you can't play to your strengths."

Harry grinned at her then back down at the paper, "What's Divination like?"

"Trina raves about it," Grace recalled. "Trust me though it won't really make much difference what we like. Just go together."

"Thanks, Gracie," Harry said.

"Yeah, you give better advice than Percy, the prat," Ron thanked.

"Funny that's what Fred and George call him too," Grace smiled. "Good luck with that and Quidditch training. I've heard Oliver's plans and you'll be lucky to get through it alive."

Ron and Harry grimaced as she walked away.

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The Gryffindors woke on the day of the Hufflepuff vs. Gryffindor match to bright sunshine and a light breeze. In Wood's mind: perfect conditions. For once though, Ciara, Fred, George and Hannah agreed with him.

"Make sure you eat up," Grace advised to all players there. "You'll feel better with some food in you."

Hannah looked up from poking around her scrambled eggs and smiled. With Grace watching her every move she piled some eggs onto her fork and chewed it slowly.

"You guys will be fine," Trina assured them. "Heck, I've seen you train for weeks and I know you're a shoe in to win."

"At least I've got my good luck charm here," Oliver mentioned, pulling Trina closer to his side and pecking her on the lips.

"Oh I just remembered!" Trina exclaimed. "I left our banner up in the library. I'll be right back."

"Do you want one of us to come with you?" Lara volunteered.

"No, I'll be fine," Trina confirmed.

"Don't be late!" Oliver called after her.

At eleven, the school swarmed down to the Quidditch pitch dressed in either yellow and black or scarlet and gold. The Gryffindor crowd seemed to be the more popular side even the Hufflepuffs weren't that enthusiastic about their own team. Both teams were greeted by an ear-splitting roar the second they stepped onto the pitch.

"Where is Trina?" Miranda speculated worriedly.

Her eyes followed Oliver as he made continuous laps around the goal posts.

Madam Hooch walked onto the pitch and released the balls.

Everyone was ready for the game to begin.

Professor McGonagall caught their attention when she walked onto the pitch with a purposeful stride in her step, carrying a giant purple megaphone.

"The match has been cancelled," she announced through the megaphone to the devastated crowd. "All students are to make their way back to their house common rooms, where their Heads of House will give them further information. As quickly as you can please!"

Oliver shouted protests at her while still on his broomstick but Professor McGonagall murmured a few words to him that made him quieten down. She motioned for Oliver, Harry, Fred, George, Hannah and Ciara to follow her.

"We should go see what's up," Lara said.

They ran up to the group trailing Professor McGonagall, just as Ron reached them.

"Yes, I suppose all of you must see this too," she said with somewhat reluctance.

The growing group of Gryffindors hurried after her. Grace ignored the crowd around her; all of whom were whispering about the game, in her concern about what had happened. Professor McGonagall led them up into the castle and straight to where Grace was dreading the most: the hospital wing.

"This will be a bit of a shock to all of you," said Professor McGonagall gently. "There has been another attack . . . another _double _attack."

Grace heard a couple of gasps around her but only wanted to enter the wing and find out who lay there still.

Professor McGonagall pushed open the doors.

Grace saw Harry's eyes widen and Ron groan at the sight of Hermione petrified but immediately her gaze was taken to the bed next to hers where the pillow was covered by a familiar tangle of black hair. A bright red bow was the only thing keeping the hair from falling into Trina's face.

"No," Oliver breathed in complete shock. "No, no, no."

Trina eyes were wide open, like they always were when she was laughing, but no smile reached her frozen lips.

"They were found near the library," Professor McGonagall explained. "I don't suppose any of you could explain this? It was found on the floor next to them . . ."

She was holding up a small, circular mirror with scribbles drawn all over the plastic back.

"That's Trina's," Lee spoke up as he was one of the few fourth years not crying at that moment. Even Ciara, the strongest one of them all, was currently hiding her face in Lee's chest. "She always had that thing with her."

Professor McGonagall nodded curtly.

"I will escort you back to Gryffindor Tower. I need to address the students in any case."

"C'mon Oliver," George pushed the Quidditch captain. "We gotta go."

"Mate, she'll still be there in the morning," Fred added.

"Fred!" scolded Lara, beating the rest of the alarmed girls.

A look of horror dawned on his face as the redhead realised what he had said.

"I didn't mean it like that," Fred backtracked.

"Let's just go," Miranda muttered, grabbing Fred's arm and dragging him out with her.

"C'mon Ollie, we really do need to go," Grace said softly. "Madam Pompfrey will let you visit in the morning I'm sure. There's nothing else we can do for her now."

"Yeah," Oliver agreed after what seemed like minutes. His face had drying tear-streaks on it and still more tears were threatening to fall out of his eyes. Grace had to look before her own eyes betrayed her and she started to cry.

**Ohhh big shock there, right? Hope you guys liked it! Please review with any comments, questions or advice. Thanks!**


	16. Snuggles, Secrets and Spiders

**Sorry for the longer wait. The end of this chapter took a while, even if I was in a good mood and wrote a lot. Honestly though I finished the first half within a day and the rest took me forever. But there are only one or two chapters in Chamber of Secrets anyway. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Obviously not since I'm not that gifted. **

**Enjoy!**

Chapter Sixteen- Snuggles, Secrets and Spiders

Later that night, after sitting and staring into the crackling fire without a word, none of the fourth year girls could get to sleep. Grace lay awake for hours in their deathly quiet dormitory, just staring at the roof of her four poster bed. Inside her head whirled worried thoughts of Trina and Hermione. She could barely imagine how Oliver was feeling. He had left the common room directly after Professor McGonagall had made her announcement; his face just as devastated as it had been when they had entered the hospital wing.

It was around 1 in the morning that Grace heard it. Across the room from her someone could be heard sniffing away tears but trying to cover up the sound.

"Hannah?" Grace guessed, peering through the gap in her curtains. "Is that you?"

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep," Hannah choked out, breaking the silence after a few minutes.

"I don't think any of us can sleep, Hannah," Lara's voice hovered through the air.

"Lumos," Grace whispered; pulling her wand out from her pillow and crawling out of her blankets with it clutched tightly in her hand to tear open the curtains around her bed.

"I may have had a few cups of highly sugared hot cocoa before bed so I didn't get to sleep," Miranda said. It was evident that she hadn't even bothered from the glasses still on her face. "I thought it would make me feel better but no."

"I just can't believe it," Hannah said softly, her voice still raw from crying. "I thought we were finally safe and there wouldn't be any more attacks."

A rustling of blankets and light footsteps could be heard as Lara tiptoed over to Hannah's bed to hug her.

"I feel like it's my fault," Lara admitted. "She said she was fine going to the library alone but I should have insisted she stay or that I go with her. I didn't even think that much of it when she was late."

"It's nobody's fault," Grace assured her. "Everybody has had their guard down for weeks. We could never have suspected."

None of them had the courage to say anything else without breaking until Ciara sat up in bed, gasping Trina's name and looking around with wide eyes.

"Are you alright Ciara?" Miranda asked.

"Just woke up from a dream," Ciara groaned.

"Well at least one of us slept," Lara commented, making light of the situation and brining glad smiles to Hannah and Grace's faces.

"It was a nightmare," Ciara objected. The smiles faded instantly.

"Is there any room left in that cuddle?" Grace asked warily.

"Come and join," Hannah invited.

Grace used her wand to light the way around the mess covering the dormitory floor. She felt a sharp pang of sadness when she passed Trina's unmade bed. Once she reached Hannah's bed, Lara shifted over to make room on the bed. Gradually they were joined by Ciara and Miranda. In that single bed, with their arms wrapped around each other, they could almost feel like everything was alright. If only the empty space in their hug was filled by Trina.

"She'll be back soon," Miranda murmured as much to comfort herself as the others.

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When the sun rose over them the next morning, all of the girls were still on Hannah's bed. Well, mostly. Miranda seemed to have rolled off the bed and now lay sprawled on the floor. Grace yawned. It took a while to remove herself from the bed as her legs had tangled themselves around Ciara and Hannah's during the night.

Once dressed and down in the Great Hall, Grace immediately sought out Ron and Harry. Last night she was still in too much shock over the attack to ask about the voice and Hermione but right now she was determined to get the answers she had wanted for a while.

"How are you two going?" she greeted.

"Absolutely dandy," Ron muttered.

"Harry, I wanted to ask you," Grace started cautiously. "Did you hear the voice yesterday?"

"Yeah, that's when Hermione ran off to the library," Harry said bitterly. His mouth stretched wide in a huge yawn.

"Couldn't sleep either?" Grace supposed, reaching for a mug of hot milk.

"Only after going to Hagrid's," Harry replied without thinking.

Grace paused for a moment with her mouth open and a plate of waffles hovering in mid-air to consider her brother's stupidity. The last attacks had only happened last night, and to one of his best friends as well, yet he went against Professor McGonagall's new rules to visit Hagrid. What could be that important?

"Why exactly did you think it was safe to go out at night?" she questioned through gritted teeth.

"We thought he might be involved," Ron answered, sharing a look with Harry.

Grace raised her eyebrows as an invitation for one of them to explain.

"I found this diary in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom," Harry confessed then went on to divulge about how he had discovered the diary's secret, what had happened inside the diary and how they went to see Hagrid. "He said that if we wanted to know stuff we had to follow the spiders."

"Why did it have to be spiders?" Ron grumbled.

"Just because Hagrid wanted to scare you," Grace told him, using sarcasm to cover her fear of Dumbledore leaving the school. "Of course you two are planning to follow these spiders, wherever they go. Alone. Which is why I should come with you."

Ron and Harry exchanged another one of those looks that said so much by so little.

"Are you going to tell a teacher?" Ron asked, clearly mistrustful of anyone joining in on their investigation. Grace could understand though; if anyone tried to take Trina's place at the moment then she would feel the same.

"Now why would I do that and make it safe for you?" Grace wondered with a comical frown.

"I can tell why you're friends with Fred and George," Ron said under his breath. Grace heard the comment and made a small grimace. The twins' might have influenced her a tiny bit after four years and not necessarily in a good way.

"Just tell me when you're going after the spiders," Grace shook her head at how a conversation about the attacks had turned into Ron comparing her to Fred and George. "And I'll look out for them as well."

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It was hard to enjoy the spreading summer when Trina wasn't there with them. Normally they would spend the time together in the sun, testing each other for the exams or splashing around in the shallows of the lake with the boys. Instead Grace just sat alone with her feet dangling in the icy cool water. There wasn't even any Hagrid to emerge out of the trees and cheer her up.

"Hey Gracie darl," Fred greeted as he and George strolled down the grassy grounds to sit on either side of her.

"Thought you didn't want anybody walking round alone," George said. He and Fred started to remove their own shoes and socks to dip their feet in the water.

"Nothing's dangerous for good old Gracie here," Fred joked, splashing her legs.

"Do as I say, not as I do," Grace recited.

"Of course, we forgot that you were the wisest one of us all," George shook his head.

"We bow down to your great advice," Fred mocked, placing a hand on his heart.

"O mighty heiress," George winked.

"Oh shush," Grace laughed, moving down to cup water in her hands and flinging it up into Fred and George's faces. She smirked up at their spluttering faces until they looked at each other with that mischievous gleam in their eyes. Both of them grabbed her arms and pushed her into the water.

"Even you can't mess with the masters," Fred chuckled.

Once he was sure that Grace's robes and hair were truly drenched, George pulled her out of the water and into his warm, strong arms. She was still scowling at them when she asked her next question.

"How's Oliver?"

"Went for a fly around the pitch," Fred answered, squinting off into the setting sun. "Madam Pompfrey wouldn't let him in to see Trina. Flying's the only other thing he could do to make him feel better."

"Madam Pompfrey's just worried," Grace sighed. "Nobody has any idea of what's going on so she doesn't want to risk whatever it is get back in there for another go. I'm barely allowed in."

"Probably better there than everyone else though," George pointed out. "Since Dumbledore left everyone's been acting like you without chocolate but a million times worse."

"Say one wrong word and someone might start crying or accuse you of being insensitive," Fred added. "George and I don't even know who we're going offend anymore."

"I don't like all the crying. It makes _me_ want to cry," Grace said. George's arms tightened around her at the slight catch in her voice.

"Now that's just redundant," Fred remarked.

"Woe I'm surprised you know such a big word," Grace teased.

"Do you want to go for a swim again?" Fred asked. He splashed his feet around in the water and flicked some up at Grace.

"Nuh uh I'm not letting go of her," George objected.

Grace laughed and rolled her eyes at him as she said, "It's almost six. We should probably head back up."

George helped Grace to her feet, like the surprising gentle man he was. Grace walked in between the twins, holding her shoes in her hands, as Fred and George each had an arm over her shoulders. They barely got up to the common room in time before teachers started to appear for their nightly patrols around the castle. Right as Grace walked through the portrait hole, Harry and Ron approached her; the urgency in their strides hard to hide.

"We found the spiders," Harry told her, making sure that Fred and George didn't hear. "They're going into the Forbidden Forest."

"So we're going tonight?" Grace confirmed.

"I'll get the invisibility cloak later."

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It was well past midnight when Grace, Ron and Harry finally managed to leave. Fred and George had challenged Harry and Ron to a game of Exploding Snap. Grace sat huddled at Ginny's feet, watching the games but subtly keeping an eye on her dorm-mates. The four girls were in the corner of the common room closest to them, each struggling to read something in front of them, whether a magazine or revision though they seemed to be looking more at Trina's empty chair than anything else. Miranda was the first to head up to bed, strangely early for her at nine' o'clock. Grace ended up dozing off at quarter to eleven; her head lolling off onto George's shoulder.

Grace was still yawning under the cloak when they were creeping out of the portrait hole. Harry threw her worried glances even though Grace was alert a few steps away from Gryffindor Tower. There was no way they would get out of the castle if she wasn't.

"Course," said Ron all of a sudden once they were out onto the moonlight grounds, "we might get to the forest and find there's nothing to follow. Those spiders might not've been going there at all. I know it looked like they were moving in that sort of general direction, but..."

They reached Hagrid's lonely looking house and entered quickly. Upon the sight of them Fang went mad. Grace grabbed some treacle fudge and stuffed it towards him before his booming barks could wake the whole castle. Even though it glued the dog's teeth together, Grace pulled off a bit for herself.

"C'mon, Fang, we're going for a walk," said Harry, encouraging Fang to follow him out the door, where he immediately lifted his leg against a tree.

Harry and Grace lit up their wands to search the forest ground for spiders, going without the help of Ron's temperamental wand. Finally their wands fell upon two spiders scurrying alone towards the dark trees. Grace's eyes met Harry's, confirming that they were going to go after those two tiny things. All this time she had still been holding out on the hope that there would be nothing out here.

Grace gulped as Harry turned and informed Ron. She was not looking forward to this.

"Okay," Ron sighed in defeat, "I'm ready. Let's go."

Grace stayed silent in the walk through the trees, staying behind Harry and Ron but keeping a steady eye all around them for any signs of danger. She could hear Fang's scampering footsteps up ahead. There was barely another to see once thick trees blocked out the brightly shining stars. Twenty minutes into their trip, Harry and Ron stopped in front of her. They were staring at where the spiders left the path to disappear into the unknown.

Grace bit her lip, hard. She hadn't expected to come this deep in the forest. Harry seemed more comfortable than her in here, even more so than Fang, a fact that she was not pleased with. Even so the further they went into the forest the more dangerous it would be.

"What d'you reckon?" Harry asked.

At that moment, when Harry turned to face her and Ron, his wandlight shone directly into Grace's eyes. It reminded her of the light that sparkled in Trina's eyes when she laughed. It occurred to Grace that there was a reason she was out here in dark looking for spiders.

"Keep going," Grace confirmed. "Can't turn back now."

So they kept going. If she didn't have her wand pointing in front of her Grace would have been blind. She could feel her robes tearing and branches ripped into her skin. More than once, she walked into Ron when he stopped suddenly. It seemed like they had been walking for a terrifying half an hour, the ground started to slope down beneath their feet, when Fang let out a hollow, echoing bark. Grace jumped into the air, clutching her wand tight.

"What?" Ron said loudly. Grace wished he would be quieter.

"There's something moving over there," Harry breathed. "Listen... Sounds like something big... "

They listened. Branches snapped in the distance, loud in the noiseless forest. Ignoring Harry and Ron bickering, Grace ran through every spell she could think of that would possibly help them in this situation. _Stupefy, Impedimenta, Reducto. _

There was an unusual rumbling, like a deep throttle then nothing.

"Is it still there?" Grace whispered.

"Dunno," Ron answered. "Probably getting ready to pounce."

Then, on their right, a bright light burned their eyes, making Grace squint and blink. Fang yelped in fright and jumped back, only to land in a bed of thorns and yelp more.

"Harry!" Ron shouted, his voice breaking with relief "Harry, it's our car!"

"What?" Harry and Grace said together.

"C'mon!"

Grace tripped over in her haste to follow Ron and emerge into a clearing. A turquoise blue Ford Angelia was sitting in the middle of the forest, the same one Grace remembered from their trip to the burrow, its headlights blinding anyone who stood in front of it.

Grace's mouth fell open. Ron was moving towards the car and it moved back towards him.

"So this is how you got to school," Grace finally said.

"It's been here all along," Ron declared happily. "The forest's turned it wild."

Grace could see the proof of that in the mud and scratches along the side. Mr Weasley certainly wouldn't approve.

"And you thought it would attack us," Grace laughed, the fear ha had possessed her seconds again seeping away.

"I wondered where it had gone!" Ron exclaimed.

"We've lost the trail," Harry spoke up. "C'mon, let's go and find them."

Grace swung her head around, still grinning to face Harry when she saw it. The grin froze on her face. A giant, ten-foot spider stood behind Harry, clicking its shiny black pincers menacingly. There was barely any time to raise her wand before another spider came her from behind. She let out a little, almost inaudible squeak at her feet being swept from underneath her. There was no way to move when it held her so painfully tight. Her eyes strained to see how far they were going into the forest.

Somehow her throat unblocked and she managed to get some words out, "Hold on. It'll be alright."

Not long after the words had escaped her mouth, she began to see clearly again. That wasn't a good thing as the ground crawled with thousands of tiny spiders. Grace cracked her neck to be able to see more than just the ground and what she saw was even worse.

They were moving into a deep hollow in the ground, clear of trees and lit up by the moonlight to show all of the spiders that smothered the ground. Not just any spiders either. No these spiders were larger than horses with their eight shiny eyes, eight hairy legs and immense bodies. In the centre of the hollow was a web spreading into a domed shape. This was where the spider drop Grace onto her head. She bounced back up as fast as she could while Harry, Ron and Fang got dropped to the ground.

Moving hesitantly Grace edged closer to Harry. She kept her wand to the ground; not sure at that moment whether she should use it or not. She reached out to help Harry off the ground, listening to the repeating clicks of the spiders surrounding them. It almost sounded like words.

"Aragog!" it called. "Aragog!"

Out of the hollow rose the largest spider of all, possibly the size of an elephant. There was one grey patch on its expansive back. Each one of the tiny eyes on its hairy head was the milky colour of blindness.

"What is it?" he said, clicking his pincers with every word.

"Men," clicked the spider who had caught Harry.

"Is it Hagrid?" said Aragog, his long legs bringing him closer.

"Strangers," clicked the spider who had brought Ron.

"Kill them," clicked Aragog fretfully. "I was sleeping... "

"No!" Grace shouted, jumping forward. "We're friends of Hagrid's. He's in trouble."

Maybe there was something wrong with her ears but Grace swore she could hear her heart pumping.

"But why has he sent you?"

That was where Harry took over. He spoke in the calmest and most level voice Grace had heard.

"They think, up at the school, that Hagrid's been setting a-a-something on students. They've taken him to Azkaban."

Aragog clicked his pincers furiously. The sound was echoed angrily around the hollow by each of the spiders, like a deafening, sickening applause.

"But that was years ago," said Aragog nervously. "Years and years ago. I remember it well. That's why they made him leave the school. They believed that I was the monster that dwells in what they call the Chamber of Secrets. They thought that Hagrid had opened the Chamber and set me free."

"So you- you didn't come from the chamber?" Grace asked, not sure whether it was even the right thing to say.

"I!" said Aragog, clicking once again. "I was not born in the castle. I come from a distant land. A traveller gave me to Hagrid when I was an egg. Hagrid was only a boy, but he cared for me, hidden in a cupboard in the castle, feeding me on scraps from the table. Hagrid is my good friend, and a good man. When I was discovered, and blamed for the death of a girl, he protected me. I have lived here in the forest ever since, where Hagrid still visits me. He even found me a wife, Mosag, and you see how our family has grown, all through Hagrid's goodness... "

"So you've never attacked anyone?" Grace pressed, summoning all of her courage for the question.

"Never," croaked the old spider, almost offended. "It would have been my instinct, but out of respect for Hagrid, I never harmed a human. The body of the girl who was killed was discovered in a bathroom. I never saw any part of the castle but the cupboard in which I grew up. Our kind like the dark and the quiet..."

"But then... Do you know what did kill that girl?" said Harry, carefully. "Because whatever it is, it's back and attacking people again-"

Something that he had said disturbed the spiders even more. They rustled and clicking in a sea of black.

"The thing that lives in the castle," said Aragog. "is an ancient creature we spiders fear above all others. Well do I remember how I pleaded with Hagrid to let me go, when I sensed the beast moving about the school."

"What is it?" Harry asked urgently. Grace started to fear for his safety. His every word seemed to anger the spiders more. They were coming closer, closing in.

"We do not speak of it!" said Aragog fiercely. "We do not name it! I never even told Hagrid the name of that dread creature, though he asked me, many times."

Harry opened his mouth as if he wanted to ask more but Grace shook her head slightly to stop him. Aragog seemed to have tired from the short talk they'd had. They didn't want to anger him further when there were already so many spiders around them.

"We'll just go but thanks for your help," Grace called after Aragog who was moving backwards into his hollow.

"Go?" said Aragog slowly. "I think not ... My sons and daughters do not harm Hagrid, on my command. But I cannot deny them fresh meat, when it wanders so willingly into our midst. Good-bye, friends of Hagrid."

Grace raised her wand to face the wall of spiders that was descending on them. She knew a couple of spells that could help but none of them would take out that many spiders. Maybe if there were more people here but Harry and Ron didn't know half of the spells that she had learnt. Grace thought the long, low note she heard was a last desperate war cry inside her head until she saw Mr Weasley's car barrelling its way through the spider, knocking many of them into the air as it went.

Grace seized the back of Harry's shirt and close to pushed him into the front of the car and fell into the back herself.

"Grab Fang!" Harry yelled at Ron. He yelping boarhound was thrown into the back with Grace, slobbering all over her. The car started without any of their help, hitting even more spiders on the way. Speeding up the slope and away from the spiders, Grace collapsed into the backseat, glad that was finally over. Even though they were weaving their way far from spiders, Ron's mouth was still wide open. At least his eyes weren't popping anymore. "Are you okay?"

There was no reply. Ron just stared straight ahead. Grace closed her eyes to the sounds of branches and even side mirrors snapping off. Finally after ten very bumpy minutes the car hurtled out the forest. It stopped with a sudden jolt that made Grace bang her head against the door which she shortly opened and stumbled out of, with Fang close on her heels. The dog streaked off into Hagrid's hut, not even one wag in his tail. Grace walked after him on weak knees. She made sure to fill his bowl with some more food and water as Harry collected the invisibility cloak.

Ron was just wiping his mouth after being quite sick when they came out. "Follow the spiders. I'll never forgive Hagrid. We're lucky to be alive."

"I doubt he thought that Aragog would actually hurt us though," Grace pointed out, leaning against the cabin wall.

"That's exactly Hagrid's problem!" said Ron, thumping the wall of the cabin and making Grace leap away from it. "He always thinks monsters aren't as bad as they're made out, and look where it's got him! A cell in Azkaban!"

He started to shake from being sick but still continued.

"What was the point of sending us in there? What have we found out, I'd like to know?"

"That Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets," Harry said. "He was innocent."

**Oh my gosh that took ages. Thank you for reading. Please review with any comments, questions or advice. **


	17. A Sudden Epiphany

**Second last chapter is here! Contains friendship, Grace/Harry conversation, Protective Grace and a big shock. **

**Disclaimer: I don't and never will own Harry Potter. **

Chapter Seventeen: A Sudden Epiphany

Grace fell wildly out of bed the next morning at the sound of music blasting from the radio next to Miranda's bed. Wearily rubbing her eyes she realized with one look to the clock that she had slept in for half an hour.

"You're lucky you woke up now," Ciara remarked while Grace hastily got dressed. "One more minute and I would've thrown Bellus on you. Claws and all."

As if to prove her point she nudged the fluffy, white cat in question.

"Had bad dreams," Grace lied, tripping into her shoes. "Didn't get to sleep until 4am."

At least the last part was true; after the spider hunt, Grace had tossed and turned or what felt like forever until she fell into a restless sleep.

"I'm sure those dreams are where you got mud stains and ripped jeans from," Lara said dryly.

Grace scowled at her observant friend before ducking into their adjoined bathroom, where Hannah was brushing her wet hair out gently.

"Have you seen the notice?" she asked.

Grace shook her head.

"Exams are coming up," Hannah informed her. "They're not cancelling them."

"What?" Grace cried with a toothbrush in her mouth. "As if I haven't got enough on my plate already!"

Hannah gave her a weird look, laughing somewhat nervously. Grace had just finished brushing her teeth when Miranda came in.

"I still can't believe it," she groaned. "Trina gets out of exams and we don't."

Grace didn't get the chance to make some sarcastic remark back at her since Lara spoke before she could.

"Don't worry about it," Lara assured them. "I've copied revision sheets out for all of you," she dug out sheets of paper from her bag and started to hand them out just as Grace walked back in the room. "Here Grace, Ciara, Trina . . ."

Lara trailed off as she remembered that Trina was not in fact there, that her usually messy bed remained empty so, for now, she would not need a revision sheet.

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Lara was still keeping them to a tight studying schedule three days before they were to take their exams. Miranda and Grace was taking a well-deserved break from the constant test practise by sitting with Harry and Ron for breakfast that morning when Professor McGonagall stood up to make an announcement.

"I have good news."

Grace looked up eagerly, hoping that she would say that the culprit had been caught without the students' knowledge. Around her everyone started to yell suggestions up at Professor McGonagall as if she had asked them to guess.

"Dumbledore's coming back!" was the common joyful cry.

"You've caught the Heir of Slytherin!" one Ravenclaw girl hoped.

As soon as the hall was quiet enough to talk Professor McGonagall said, "Professor Sprout has informed me that the Mandrakes are ready for cutting at last. Tonight, we will be able to revive those people who have been petrified. I need hardly remind you all that one of them may well be able to tell us who, or what, attacked them. I am hopeful that this dreadful year will end with our catching the culprit."

Grace screamed out with surprise at the same time as many others.

"We'll get to see Trina tonight," Grace informed Miranda pointlessly with a wide grin on her face. "Imagine how happy Oliver will be!"

"Look at him now; I think he's in shock," Miranda pointed. "Turns out Trina doesn't get of exams then. She'll be pleased."

Grace rolled her eyes at Miranda. She turned her head at movement beside her to see Ginny sit between her and Ron. There was something off in the way she peered around the room and twisted seemingly sweaty hands in her lap.

"What's wrong?" Grace frowned, pausing in the act of helping herself to more porridge.

Ginny didn't answer at first but rather flicked her eyes up and down the Gryffindor, like she was frightened of something.

"Spit it out," Ron said with her eyes on her.

"I've got to tell you something," Ginny murmured while avoiding eye contact with anyone.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

Ginny opened her mouth.

"What?" Ron pressed.

Harry leaned in closer to make sure that only Grace, Ginny and Ron could hear him, "Is it something about the Chamber of Secrets? Have you seen something? Someone acting oddly?"

Ginny drew a deep breath and prepared to speak again when Percy appeared behind her, exhaustion clear on his face.

"If you've finished eating, I'll take that seat, Ginny. I'm starving; I've only just come off patrol duty."

Ginny jumped in the air, stumbled out of her seat and scampered away. A look of outrage made its way onto Grace's face at Percy blatantly rude attitude towards his sister and how he interrupted what she was about to say.

"Oi, Miranda, Grace, time for more study."

Grace and Miranda sighed together at Ciara's cry and reluctantly waved goodbye to Harry and Ron. Even though Ginny had made her worry even more, she could never have guessed the circumstances in which she would next see those two.

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Even though the school was still in a state of distress, Professor Binns continued to lecture them on various wizard criminals over the years. So far he hadn't even gotten past the 14th century.

Grace, like everyone else in the class, wasn't listening to a word he said. Unlike everyone else though, she wasn't chatting animatedly about every single thing that a teenager could possibly talk about. Instead her thoughts kept wandering back to Aragog and Ginny and Trina and Hermione. There were so many questions she wanted answers to and she wasn't sure she could wait for Trina to wait up.

Why did Hermione need her mirror anyway? Did it have anything to do with the monster Aragog mentioned? Could he have been telling the truth at all that night? If so, then why was the girl's body found in a bathroom of all places? Could that be near the location of the Chamber? Maybe Ginny knew something about it. That could be the reason she was so jittery this morning.

"Well I personally am upset that the attacks have stopped," Callidus drawled from a few seats in front of her. "They were helping the school for the greater good."

"Are you purposely quoting Grindelwald or are you that much of a conceited asshole on your own?" Grace snapped at him, coming out of her daze at his words. "Because I know you're stupid but that's just beyond words. If you say that Trina being petrified is for the greater good one more time I swear I will not be afraid to try out some of those curses we read about!"

"Maybe slow working poison would be better," Ciara suggested.

Callidus scowled at the smirks on their faces and decided to give them the cold shoulder. John was frowning thoughtfully at Grace until she caught his eye and raised her eyebrows.

"What was that?" Lara exploded. "One second you're staring off into space and the next you're jumping down _his _throat. It's like you're possessed or something."

Grace's eyes went wide. If there was a light bulb above her head it would have turned on. The school bell rang at the perfect time, signalling Grace's escape.

"I have to go," she said, snatching up her bag. "I think I might know what's going on."

"What? Grace?" Miranda called after her. Grace didn't seem to hear as she raced through the corridors towards the first years. Professor Binns never followed them to their next class so that was one thing not to worry about.

Lara's comment about possession had rung a bell in her head. Aragog had said the last attack was years ago so maybe, somehow, the Heir of Slytherin was working through another student.

And Ginny Weasley knew about it.

"George!" Grace gasped, skidding to a halt in front of the younger Heathridge. "Where's Ginny?"

"Er . . . she went to the bathroom," George answered, alarmed by Grace's urgency.

Grace's first thought was that something had happened to her.

"Which bathroom?" Grace pressed.

"I- I think it was the one up stairs. Near the first attack."

"Thanks, George. Trina'll be back with hugs soon. Oh and do you mind holding my bag?"

With that Grace sprinted off again. Her destination this time was Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. She had never really liked the place; it gave an overall aura of depression, not helped by Myrtle's attitude. But if Ginny was there alone then Grace wanted to make sure she was alright.

Grace rounded the corner to _that_ corridor and stopped. Under the first red message was another: _Her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever._

Oh hell it won't, Grace thought.

At the distance end of the corridor Ginny's figure made its way in to the bathroom. Even from this far away Grace could see the glassy look in her eyes and the red liquid dripping from her fingers.

"Ginny!" Grace called out to no avail.

Her footsteps made great echoing slaps against the stone floor but she still only got to the door in time to see Ginny free-fall down a massive hole beneath one of the sinks.

"I wouldn't follow her down there if I were you," Moaning Myrtle commented as Grace approached the edge of the hole. "You're both likely to stay down there."

"Well thanks Myrtle," Grace nodded. There was a spark flickering in her eye. "But I plan on coming back up."

Grace didn't even spare Myrtle another glance before plunging down into the depths beyond the hole's mouth. Darkness engulfed her almost immidiatly as she twisted and turned down the spiralling tunnel. Right as she started to see a light the rough, grazing stone started to get slimy. Just as Grace though she couldn't take it anymore she shot out of the tunnel like a cork.

There was no one in the dripping cavern when Grace stood up onto her wobbling legs. From the mould gathered in the corner, Grace assumed she was under the black lake.

It didn't take long for Grace to remember why she was here. Ginny had already disappeared further into the cavernous chamber.

Grace had no idea where she was going. The only thing she had to follow was Grace's footsteps. She held her wand up the entire time, passing a giant snake skin that almost made her stop on her way. It did make her walk forward with a bit more caution.

Finally she arrived at a circular door, set with snakes around the edges. Gulping, Grace moved closer to the door. It went in a straight downward drop. The only way to get down below was a rickety metal ladder attached to the wall.

By the time she dropped of the last rung, Grace could make out a dark figure standing over a motionless Ginny.

"Hey!" Grace shouted, running full-pelt past marble statues of snakes. "Get away from her!"

"Grace Potter. I knew you or your brother would come."

**Well Grace is stupid isn't she? Please review with any comments, questions or advice. Thanks!**


	18. Guts

**Hi guys! I know it's been over two weeks and that's unacceptable but I have so much homework and school-related things that I couldn't possibly fit any writing in. So here's the last chapter. Hope you enjoy and I will continue writing soon. **

Chapter Eighteen: Guts

Grace came to a skidding halt in front of the man; her wand held high and ready in front of her. The man was exactly what you imagine when someone says 'tall, dark and handsome.' There was something about him though that made him less attractive. It might have been the way he crouched over Ginny's limp body, the arrogance in his tone when he spoke or the ugly sneer on his face. Something else though caught her eye; it almost looked like he was transparent around the edges, like he was a ghost fading away.

"I don't think it's fair that you know my name and I don't know yours," Grace said in a level voice. "But that doesn't change the fact that you should get away from Ginny."

The man raised his hands in a simple motion, straightened his legs and took a single step away. "There's nothing you can do for her now. She doesn't have much time left."

Grace ignored the stranger's words and knelt down by Ginny to feel her dying pulse.

"I don't know who you are but as long as she's got some life in her then she can be saved. So you better move out of my way while I get her to help."

"I don't think that's going to work," the stranger said quietly.

Grace's eyes flicked up to him, widened slightly in surprise. She raised her wand and moved smoothly to her feet.

"You see," the stranger continued. "The more life that Ginny loses; the more I gain. That's the whole reason she's down here."

"It was you," Grace guessed, slowly letting the venom poison her voice. "You made Ginny open the chamber, and go after all those students. Are you just a crazed pureblood or was there some other point to this?"

Another sly smile crossed the man's face.

"There's always a point, Grace. Those first few attacks were just an end to a means. A way to draw attention and gain power. I know what I want now."

"One of those attacks was my friend!" Grace shouted, taking another step towards him. "Was she just an end to a mean?"

"Temper, temper, Ms Potter," the man scolded lightly. "We still have to wait for your brother you see."

"What does he have to do with this?"

"He has everything to do with this. He's the reason I took Ginny and why I stopped attacking Mudbloods. Once I heard about his legendary defeat of Lord Voldemort, I knew I would do anything to meet him. Of course, now that I have Ginny it's only inevitable that he will follow."

"No, that's not going to happen," Grace shook her head in denial. "Harry's smarter than that. And he doesn't even know where the chamber is."

"You know none of that is true. From the stories I've heard, your brother wouldn't let his best friend's sister die, now would he? Besides if you can find out how to come here so can he."

The man turned away from her, taking her previous spot near Ginny. He studied her still form with cold, observant eyes as if searching her face for any signs that she was dead yet. Seeing him that close to someone she loved and adored made Grace even madder than she was before. Even knowing that she didn't stand a chance against this guy, who was most likely the Heir of Slytherin, she had to try.

"I won't let you touch Harry or Ginny," Grace stated. "It's not going to happen. So get away from her."

By this point Grace had her wand raised, pointing straight at the man's chest. He didn't move an inch but simply raised his eyebrows, like he was questioning whether she would do anything or not. Bracing herself, Grace sent a shower of red sparks at the hand that was hovering over Ginny's face. Another bout of sparks came straight after.

When he still didn't move away her, Grace took another breath and said, "Stupefy."

The spell was deflected straight off the man. With a flick of his wrist, he sent Grace spinning into a nearby wall. Hard. There was the sharp sound of something snapping before she slid down the wall into a cloud of black. The last thing she saw was the man stepping smoothly back into the shadows.

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Grace woke to yells of, "KILL THE BOY! LEAVE THE BIRD! THE BOY IS BEHIND YOU. SNIFF-SMELL HIM."

Grace raised her head to see Harry standing with his back against the wall facing a monstrous green serpent whose eyes appeared to be bleeding. He was armed with a silvery, ruby-crusted sword, holding it straight out in front of him for dear life.

The snake reared its giant head, sniffing around in confusion trying to find Harry. It didn't take long for it to lock onto where he was. Blindly, it lunged forward, opening its mouth to reveal rows of thin, white fangs, ready to kill. Harry managed to move out of the way just in time for the snake to collide into the wall. Quickly he recovered and prepared himself for the next time.

Grace heaved herself to her feet, ignoring the wave of dizziness that washed over her. One hand moved backwards to brace herself against the wall but stopped at the raw pain shooting up her arm. Her wrist stuck out at an odd angle to the rest of her arm; certainly not like it was supposed. Pushing that to the back of her mind, Grace turned back to Harry.

He raised the sword with both hands; his feet were braced steady on the ground. When the snake lunged this time, he pushed the sword forward with all of his body weight behind it. The sharp tip of the sword pierced its way through the snake's mouth.

Grace saw it before Harry realized. Just as his arm drove the sword home, one of the snake's fangs found its way into Harry's arm. She stumbled her way forward, just in time to catch Harry with her good arm. The snake's body thumped to the ground behind them. They sunk softly to the ground together.

A bird with brilliantly red feathers fluttered down to land on the stones beside them; brushing against Harry's pierced arm who was murmuring to it quietly. Grace pulled herself closer to him to get a better look at the wound and firmly take the fang, still clutched in his hand, away from him. Never in all of her magical medicine study had she seen anything like the wound on Harry's arm. She was concentrating on it so much; she barely noticed the footsteps approaching them.

"You're dead, Harry Potter. Dead. Your sister knows it; even Dumbledore's fool bird knows it. Do you know what he's doing, Potter? He's crying."

Grace stared at the bird in disbelief but he was telling the truth. Fat, pearly tears were falling from its eyes straight onto Harry's arm. Grace gripped Harry's hand tightly, frowning up at the man above them who was responsible for all of this. There had to be some way she could stop him. Some way to help Harry. Some way to get Ginny back.

"I'm going to sit here and watch you die, Harry Potter. Then once you're dead and Ginny's gone, I'm going to kill your sister. You'll both be back with your dear Mudblood mother. Ginny can join you there. . . . she only gave you twelve extra years after all. . . but she could never save you from Lord Voldemort."

When Grace raised her eyes to glare at the man she noticed something had changed since she had first entered the chamber. He didn't look as transparent as before. Something was less ghost-like about him. As if he was gaining power from somewhere.

Suddenly Grace remembered his words from earlier; _the more life that Ginny loses; the more I gain. _Ginny had been helping this man all along without knowing it but how? Grace's eyes searched Ginny's body for anything that could give her a hint when she recognized the black book lying in a puddle beside her. It was her diary. Grace had seen it many times over the summer at the Burrow. Ginny wrote in it religiously.

Without thinking about what she was doing and ignoring the man completely, Grace pulled the diary over to her. She didn't even consciously make the decision before snake fang still in her hand plunged down into the diary's cover. Ink leaked out of the hole she'd made like blood. There was a terrible, ear-piercing scream as the man in front of Harry started writhing and squirming from the connection he had with the diary. It all took a minute then he was gone.

"Grace," Harry said, turning her attention back to him. He motioned to his arm where the bird was still perched beside. Apart from a small scar running down his arm there was no evidence that a giant snake's fang had just stabbed him.

"He's a phoenix isn't he?" Grace whispered. "Their tears can heal almost anything."

Harry's eyes meet hers with a smile. A small moan came from the girl who they had almost forgotten: Ginny. For now Grace just breathed a sigh of relief, glad that everything was finally going to be okay.

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When Grace got to Professor McGonagall's office with Harry, Ron, Professor Lockhart and Ginny, she near well collapsed. She listened to Harry's story in awe. Some parts of it she already knew but others, like how a teenage Lord Voldemort had managed to possess Ginny, astounded her. Finally Professor Dumbledore let her, Ginny and Mr and Mrs Weasley go to the hospital wing, leaving Harry and Ron alone with him. She shot him a concerned look as she was swept out the door.

"We really can't thank you enough, Grace," Mr Weasley told Grace. "I don't know what we would do without you and your brother."

"Really Mr Weasley, it was nothing," Grace tried to assure him.

"Nonsense!" he cried. "You really do go above and beyond."

Grace looked at the ground and blushed, distinctly aware of the pain in her arm.

"I think the fudge from Christmas was enough thanks," Grace smiled.

The hospital wing was bustling with activity when they arrived. All of the students that were petrified were now sitting up in bed, slightly bewildered at what was going on while Madam Pompfrey scurried around them to make sure everyone was alright. At the sight of Grace and the three Weasleys standing in the doorway she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Thank goodness," she gasped. "I almost thought I had lost my assistant."

"Couldn't last a day without me," Grace smiled.

Madam Pompfrey shook her head at the comment. In an instant she was helping Grace and Ginny onto separate beds and rushing off for more medical potions. Mr and Mrs Weasley stayed close to Ginny, hovering on either side of her bed.

Grace had barely sat down when something soft and cuddly collided with her. The breath was knocked out of her and her broken wrist squished into her chest.

"Trina," she choked out. "Broken arm here."

Trina released her and stepped back. She was definitely a sight for sore eyes from the wavy black hair to the crinkles by her eyes when she smiled so much. It hardly looked like she had been petrified for over a month, just sleeping peacefully in a new pair of hospital pyjamas.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Trina said. "I just can't believe it. I've been _petrified _for over a month! Do you know how long that is? What have I missed? Oh my god, how's Oliver? Are _you_ alright? I'm so proud of you! You defeated that slimy old bastard!"

All of this was said in one breath.

"Ms Davenport!" Madam Pompfrey scolded. "You may be healing yourself but that is no reason to hound Grace after all she has been through. There's not too long to the feast and I want you all well- rested by then!"

Grace looked up to meet Trina's eyes, trying to hide her smile at the other girl who was mouthing an apology, and accepted the vial of potion Madam Pompfrey handed her.

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It was an hour and a half later when Madam Pompfrey finally let them all go. Grace's arm hadn't even needed a sling; Madam Pompfrey had healed it that quickly. Accompanying her down to the Great Hall was Trina, Ginny, Hermione, Justin finch-Fletchley and Colin Creevey.

She would never forget the moment they walked through the doors to the Great Hall. Everybody turned to look at them. It was utterly quiet for a second before cheers erupted around them. Half of Gryffindor table rushed up to greet them. Grace was crushed in a sea of red hair from Fred and George as they pulled her and Ginny into a crushing hug. Around them all of their friends were struggling to get through to Trina but Oliver just wouldn't let her go.

"I love so much, Trina," he could be heard murmuring.

After that it was all a blur. She could remember the announcement that Gryffindor had won the cup for the second year in a row, Professor McGonagall declaring that they would no longer need to sit the exams, Professor Dumbledore telling them all that unfortunately Professor Lockhart would be unable to return to Hogwarts next term and the feeling that everyone was finally safe from harm.

Nothing could ruin the rest of the term for Grace. Trina and Oliver become nigh on inseparable for the last few weeks. The days were spent joyfully laughing in the sun during time that used to be spent in Professor Lockhart's classroom.

"You know I'm kind of disappointed that Lockhart left before we ratted him out," Ciara commented on the last day of term while relaxing in Lee's arms.

"I think he got what he deserved," Grace reasoned from where she was splashing around in the lake with Fred and George. "All he ever wanted was to be well-known but now he doesn't even know anything."

"Here's hoping we get a decent Defense teacher next term," Lara groaned.

"I don't care what happens. I just want to enjoy holidays now," Miranda said with a finality that ended the conversation.

Grace grimaced, thinking about how she would be spending her holidays. For now that didn't matter. She spent her last day savouring the time she had with Trina and her other friends. Finally she was on the train back to Privet Drive in a compartment with Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred and George. Harry and Grace may have a horrible few weeks coming up but the thought hardly crossed their minds while they were busy winning Exploding Snap.

**So there you have it! The last chapter in the Chamber of Secrets! **

**I shall post the first few chapters of Prisoner of Azkaban soon but I want to edit the Philosopher's Stone and get a few chapters written before I post anything. I am free of assessment now so writing will be a hell of a lot quicker. **

**Like always, please review with any comments, questions or advice. Thanks!**


	19. Author's Note

**Hey guys! So in case you weren't following me as a author and wanted to read the next instalment in Sister Who Lived, I'm here to tell you the first chapter of Prisoner of Azkaban is up!**

**Also I'm once again going over and editing other chapters and renaming them. I wonder if anyone can guess how I'm naming the chapters. It's pretty easy; just look it up on ITunes. Sometimes you can listen to the song that comes up and it'll match the chapter but sometimes the title just sounded cool. **

**By the way, thank you for being great readers for ages even when I don't upload for weeks. I try, I swear. Don't give up on me since I'm never giving up on this story. **

**Also I am now officially on holidays for two weeks so hopefully you can expect regular updates. I'll certainly try. **

**Always, Sweethearts together.**


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